A Cursed Relationship
by Major Mario
Summary: A strange and wicked curse has been placed on Cammy's most hated rival, and while she enjoys the schadenfreude of the situation, she soon comes to find that she must take care of her until the curse wears off. And to think, she already has an animal to care for... STAGNANT
1. The Livid Lurker

The night in England was warm that day, which was a stark contrast to days past. The weather was calm and uneventful, and there were hardly any clouds in the beautiful night sky. Nothing was out of place. Nothing was going wrong. It was as perfect a night for anyone to ask for. Anyone would have enjoyed and appreciated it.

Anyone but Cammy White.

The British woman walked through the dimly-lit streets of London with a sad gait. While she had noticed the good cheer of her countrymen and silently acknowledged their reassuring statements, she could not find it in her to smile. Her friends were fine, her mates in Delta Red were at the peak of health, and her work had been completed. It should have been enough incentive to feel a tinge of happiness, but Cammy stubbornly clung to her lamentations. She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her red cloak and turned a corner.

Her mind was cluttered with thoughts and memories of her past mission. Despite the expressions of sympathy her squadmates offered her, the mission was a complete and utter failure. No one could possibly convince her otherwise, as she believed it was all her fault that things went awry. She was not her favorite Interpol officer with stalwart determination and a cool head. She was not a strong, muscle-bound patriotic sort like Guile. Instead, she was a pouty little Brit whose anger dictated her actions.

It had all started three days ago with a report of Shadaloo activity in India. Some village was being harassed in some way and had requested help from the authorities, and to their good fortune, they were offered Delta Red. Upon arrival, Cammy and her squad had scoured the area for anything related to Shadaloo and managed to find evidence of their activity in the form of tire tracks leading away from the village. With the village in its more primitive state, an automobile stuck out like a sore thumb.

When the squad followed the tracks, they found one of the trucks overturned near a small line of huts with a few mangled bodies under it. Upon closer inspection, Cammy noticed the insignia of Shadaloo on their uniforms, the same golden skull flanked by wings that had always troubled her in her sleep. Someone had gotten to the men before they could. Cammy was disturbed by this information and wondered who could have done it, but she did not have to wonder for long.

Suddenly, she and her squad were attacked by an enemy that was all too familiar to her. In less than ten seconds, everyone in her squad was writhing in pain on the ground. The violet streak that blazed about them was too fast to register, and the kicks and punches were too strong to stand up against. Cammy herself was left alone, but she knew the reason why. The attacker wanted her to watch as those near to her were knocked about while she could do nothing to stop it. It was cruel and sadistic humor that could only be enjoyed by one woman.

"So nice of you to drop by, kitten. Like my handiwork?" the woman purred as she cocked a thumb towards the mangled Shadaloo bodies. "You need stronger men. Honestly, how do you expect me to be satisfied if all you do is drag such weaklings along?"

"Juri! You'll pay for this!" Cammy shouted as she clenched her fists.

"Why is everyone getting mad at me for doing my job? It's so unfair!" Juri smiled and crouched into her fighting stance. "I'm all business today, but I'll sneak in a bit of pleasure wherever I can find it…"

The fight was in Juri's favor right from the beginning. The S.I.N. agent's smile never left her face during it all. For her, fighting was fun, especially when it was a fight to the death. She loved to toy with her opponents, and influencing Cammy's anger only made her grin madly. With rage guiding her hand, Cammy could not even land a single blow on her most hated rival. It was a fruitless cause, but the woman could not see it.

Juri eventually got bored of her opponent's missed attacks and angry responses and decided to finally take the fight seriously. When an attack was parried, she struck. When a kick whiffed, she retaliated with one of her own. Juri beat Cammy into submission in a few seconds, and those few seconds seemed to be much more satisfying to her than the minute of toying. The woman pointed and laughed at her defeated rival and left her lying in the middle of the road without a word of victory. It would have been much harder on Cammy for her to imagine what Juri could have said than to take some relief in what she did say.

After licking their wounds, Cammy's squad managed to come back with very little in the way of intel. It seemed that S.I.N. was attacking its parent organization of Shadaloo, and they were sending Juri Han and other agents to do the dirty work. Why India? What reason was there for the attacks? Cammy presumed it was an attempt at grabbing power, but she kept her assumption to herself. She could hardly speak to any of her squadmates after she had let them down.

Back in the present was where Cammy wanted to be, but her thoughts remained rooted in the past. Compared to Juri, Crimson Viper was a wannabee assassin in a working girl's outfit, Balrog was nothing more than a greedy bastard with mittens, Vega was an agonizingly annoying and effeminate man with pocket knives, and Bison… Bison was still a large threat, and quite possibly more dangerous than Juri ever could be. However, the Korean woman had potential to be the worst person imaginable if she was determined enough.

Breathing a sigh of disgust, Cammy shook her head to refocus herself. She was not in India anymore, she was in London. There were no mangled bodies for her when she got to her destination, only a nice warm bath and a good spot of TV. There was not going to be an ambush by a deadly rival, but by a furry companion as she walked through the front door. Just thinking of her pet brought a small smile to Cammy's face.

"She's probably clawed away at something while I've been gone," she said with a small chuckle.

The British woman decided to take a shortcut this evening to get back to her apartment block as quickly as possible. Taking a turn down a lit alley, she contemplated what to do for the next day. With Colonel Wolfman offering his sympathies and practically her entire squad clamoring for their Captain back, Cammy was placed on standby for a few days. She viewed it as punishment for failing the India mission, but her superior saw it as a chance for his star operative to get her head back on right. Already she thought up a few movie nights and long-distance phone calls with Sakura or Chun-Li.

Suddenly, the hair on Cammy's neck stood straight on end. On this perfect night, something was amiss. She had the nagging feeling that someone was watching her like a hawk, and they were just waiting for the chance to pounce. She stopped right in her tracks and slowly reached for her hip before she drew her hand back. Because she was off duty, there was no sane reason to wear her leotard with her equipment, and that meant no sheathed knife on her hip. The fact that she was wearing civilian clothes made her feel naked and exposed, and she desperately wanted some reassurance in the form of her red gauntlets.

The alleyway was clear from the front, and it seemed that Cammy was the only one in there. The woman knew better than that and swiftly turned around with her hands raised in defense. Her eyebrow twitched when she found that there was no one behind her. Perhaps the stress of the failed mission had played a trick on her mind. It seemed convincing enough, and Cammy was willing to believe it. Then, a sound from above caught her ear.

Looking up, Cammy's eyes widened as she saw a cloaked figure descend upon her.

She rolled to the side and heard the crumbling of concrete where she had once stood. Lifting herself up, she saw the figure's foot in the center of a small crater of rubble. This was a powerful assassin, and she was after Cammy of all people. Fear manifested itself in the pit of the woman's stomach, but she had no intention of denying it. It was a much better emotion to fight on than anger was.

Discarding her cloak to the side, Cammy edged herself into her combat stance. She nearly faltered when she looked at the figure for whoever it was. Covered almost entirely by a black cloak and hood, the figure's shape was curvy and just slightly shorter than the British woman. Obviously it was a young woman, but who could hold so much power in one kick? When the woman titled her head up to take a look at Cammy, the answer was clear.

Juri glared at her rival from under her hood with glowing violet eyes. Instead of the usual coy smile, there was a snarl of rage present on her features. There was something wrong with her teeth, but it was too far away for Cammy to tell. She looked down at Juri's hands and visibly paled when she saw her purple fingernails were sharp and gleaming menacingly in the moonlight. They looked like claws… Was this Juri, or was this some kind of monster?

"You!" Juri shouted as she pointed a finger at Cammy. "You did this to me!"

Cammy flinched back as she heard her voice. It wasn't as frightening as it was completely unexpected. A higher pitch than normal, Juri's voice caught her rival off guard, as did her statement.

"W-what?" Cammy stammered. "What did I do?"

"Don't play dumb with me!"

Before Cammy could question further, Juri shot forward and slammed a fist across the side of her face. The purple padded gloves she usually wore were off, and that meant the punch hurt more than it should have. As Cammy let loose a grunt of pain and stumbled to the right, she felt a hand on her throat. Juri gripped tightly and lifted the woman up and off of her feet. Her snarl did not turn into a sneer at her enemy's struggles, and that greatly disturbed Cammy.

Looking down, the Delta Red operative could see only Juri's glowing eyes and feral snarl under her black hood. Upon closer inspection, the violet eyes had unusually shaped pupils, even in the case of the left eye which was supposed to be Juri's Feng Shui Engine. There was a bad hunger to them, almost animalistic. Juri's teeth seemed almost normal from a distance, but Cammy was able to make out elongated canines. They looked like fangs… maybe they were.

"W-what are you?" Cammy squeaked out as she reached for Juri's hand on her neck.

"Goddammit, this is all your fault!" Juri said as she shook Cammy. "How did you do it? Nevermind, just fix me! You made me this way, you can change me back!"

"How did I-"

Juri raised Cammy up a little before slamming her down into the ground. The concrete cut into the woman's back and shoulder blades with such force that she couldn't possibly resist a scream of agony. The hand around her neck was released, but she felt Juri's fingernails scrape her skin and draw a bit of blood. Only a monster or an animal had claws that sharp. Cammy coughed once and looked up at Juri, all the while thinking up possible reasons for this sudden change in appearance.

The glowing eyes, fangs, and claws all pointed towards one idea, but Cammy was skeptical of jumping towards it. Vampires were mythological beings that drank the blood of the living, and Juri made no attempt for her neck when she had it in her grasp. Sure, they were out at night, but that was just in stories. Vampires do not exist in this world, Cammy thought. She was beginning to doubt that as she looked into Juri's violet eyes.

"You know, I was going to keep you around as dessert for when I was finished with that China doll," Juri growled as she looked down at her victim. "But after what you've done to me, I think I'll just make your death as slow and enjoyable as possible."

Although she was in a terrible position, Cammy couldn't help but smile at the irony of the situation. Not three days ago, Juri was her usual happy and sadistic self while Cammy was angry beyond reason. Now, she had a clear head while her enemy was busy losing hers.

"It seems that the only thing I've done is piss you off," she chortled.

Juri hissed at that. The sound was so foreign yet familiar that it was almost cute if it weren't for the fact Juri was trying to kill someone. She fixed Cammy with a terrible, threatening look and literally pounced on her with claws outstretched. Fortunately, Cammy had seen the attack coming and brought her knees to her chest. She jabbed her boots into Juri's stomach and sprang forward with enough force to knock the Korean back and into a brick wall, which she slid down comically.

She held the back of her head in agony and muttered a few curses in her tongue before glaring back up at Cammy. It wouldn't take long for the weight of what she had done to come crashing down on her and render her paralyzed with fright. However, the British woman was not looking at her with a sense of smug superiority or fear as she had expected, but rather a look of astonishment. Raising an eyebrow, Juri moved her hands down to the ground to push herself up when she realized something. Her hands were touching her hair… not her black hood.

Her hood had fallen off, and that had allowed Cammy to get a good look at what had happened to the Korean.

"…Blimey…"


	2. Getting An Earful

_Earlier, at the S.I.N. research facility..._

"Mistake number twenty-seven: when enlisting the assistance of a small but skilled army, dress the part of a soldier in need of reinforcements! Good god private, just where is your uniform?"

"I don't believe that is-"

"Mistake number twenty-eight: when you talk to a superior officer, the first and last word out of your mouth will be sir, and it will be loud!"

"If I could just get a momen-"

"Mistake number twenty-nine: interrupting a senior commissioned officer!"

Seth sighed and rubbed his temples. In hindsight, contacting the Mad Gear gang out of the blue was not the best and brightest idea the synthetic human had came up with. The gang of ruffians knew Metro City like the back of their hand, and their expertise could be used to S.I.N.'s gain in future operations. That was if there was someone reasonable to make a deal with. Rolento was the one who answered the call, and he was quite possibly the most militant man Seth had ever had the displeasure of speaking with.

He shot a disgusted look towards the communications console and found the soldier pacing about on the screen. A few grenades hung on his tan uniform, but one was currently being tossed about in the man's hand. As he ranted, he would occasionally and dangerously bat the grenade about with his green staff. The man was very skilled, but there was an insane air about him that made Seth doubt his authenticity. He raised a finger and opened his mouth to retort when...

"Mistake number thirty!"

"What?" Seth roared. "You infuriating madman, just what have I done now?"

"Mistake number thirty: making twenty-nine mistakes!" Rolento barked as he twirled his staff. "Private! You have a lot to learn about strict discipline! If you wish to ask for reinforcements, you must follow proper protocol!" The soldier stood at attention and saluted. "I am now invoking a code of radio silence as punishment!"

"Don't you dare cut me off," Seth growled as he sat up from his chair.

The console screen darkened as the Mad Gear member cut off communications. Before Rolento's image faded away, Seth could have sworn he saw a smirk. The man was definitely insane if he believed he could get away with this incident. This was one opportunity that would probably never present itself again, but as Seth came to realize, there was no point in lamenting over it. It was now in the past, and if anything, it provided him with a valuable lesson: don't deal with crazy ex-soldiers.

Seth grumbled under his breath and sat back down at his desk. The operations in Metro City would take place without the help of the Mad Gear gang. There wasn't much that a dominatrix, her giant partner, a crazed soldier, and a man obsessed with Japanese culture could do, now that Seth had time to properly think. At the very least, they would pose a minor problem for the city until the mayor decided to step in. Personally.

Just as Seth began to find peace in his files, the voice of a woman shattered it completely.

"Hey Seth! You called?"

Juri darted into his vision with an almost childlike energy about her. Ever since the mission to harass Shadaloo in India, she had been very active to the point of being annoying. Her enthusiasm knew no bounds, but there was nothing pressing to assign to her upon her return. Seth decided to overlook her behavior, as he usually did. It was inane to try to predict her behavior anyway.

While she was very active throughout the night, the woman was absent from the corridors of the facility during the day. The woman almost never slept in, and having her not pester the scientists made the facility seem empty. Seth did not notice her absence until it was in the evening, and when he did, he sent for her. When Juri was found, he was flabbergasted at the fact that she had slept through three quarters of the day. Juri must have overexerted herself, or something was wrong with her eye.

Seth could care less about his confidante's condition had she been anybody else. However, she had his creation in her left eye socket, and that made her valuable. In order to properly work for S.I.N., the woman needed to be in peak physical condition. She had to be able to function at her highest capabilities at any time in the day, and any anomaly was to be quickly addressed and fixed. The Feng Shui Engine had a tendency to influence her behavior, so that meant that if something was wrong, it was usually the eye's problem.

"Err, yes," Seth said as he folded his hands. "You slept in for a much longer time than you usually do."

"I did?" Juri asked as she scratched her head. "Come on, you're such a sleep Nazi. I like getting my eight hours. Two more never hurts."

"Juri, you slept three times as long today than you usually do. It's the evening now."

"Eighteen hours? Damn, I must have been tired. Oh well, no harm done. I feel absolutely perfect after all that rest." Approaching Seth's desk, Juri placed her hands on her hips. "Now, forget about sleep schedules and your stupid plans for a minute and check this out."

Juri parted her lips and grinned wide enough to show her white teeth. It was the usual toothy grin, but in it, Seth found something that was anything but usual. The Korean's canines were elongated, forming fangs sharp enough to make a demon blush. Now Seth was much more interested in his confidante than he was a minute ago.

"Are those... fangs?" Seth asked.

Although he knew the answer already, Juri nodded and brushed her newly acquired fangs with a finger.

"Cool huh? Better than that, they're not just for show." She clicked her teeth together in demonstration. "Intimidating too! Wait till the nerds in the lab see these babies..."

"Just how did this happen?" Seth wondered. "Humans do not possess elongated canines. I'll have you know that this is not an upgrade or feature provided by the Feng Shui Engine, Juri."

"I figured as much, so I came up with a theory."

"Juri..."

"No no no, hear me out. My fingernails are sharper, my eyes glow in the dark a little, I've got fangs, my skin is pale, and I've slept through the entire day." Juri's eyes twinkled with wonder as she twiddled her fingers. "I must be turning into a vampire! Finally, now I have an excuse to bite people!"

"Some of the things you say make me wonder why you're my confidante, but that right there has to be the most absurd thing I have ever heard," Seth said.

Juri giggled softly to herself before escalating into full-blown laughter. While it would have been an interesting concept to be a vampire, such creatures did not exist. It was a shame, really, as most of her missions were done under the cover of darkness. A few characteristics of the fabled champions of the night would have served her well. Blood would not have been a problem given her line of work, and it wasn't as if her enemies were as prepared as Van Helsing was. She could be virtually unstoppable, but it was nothing more than a simple delusion.

"Oh please, you actually thought I believed that?" Juri asked as she came down from her bout. "I'm wild, but I'm not insane."

"You're an uncouth shrew, but you're the best I have at the moment," Seth replied. "Come here, I want to look at the eye myself."

"Ugh, fine," Juri mumbled.

The woman placed her hands on Seth's desk and leaned forward. A cold chrome hand slid under her jaw and cupped it securely before pulling her down to her boss's eyelevel. Unnatural blue eyes bore into bright violet ones as Seth analyzed every minute detail. The Korean's pupils were thinner than usual and glowed just slightly with a strange and animalistic hunger. Even the left pupil, which as a whole was the Feng Shui Engine, had the same shape as the right. It was concerning for the creator, but it was not pressing.

"Hmm… There's something amiss, but it's not too severe," Seth muttered as he released his confidante from his grip. "It's probably a glitch, although I'm not sure how that relates to your new features."

"If it's not a bad thing, it's a good thing."

Since there were no visible and unwelcomed side-effects of the glitch, Seth couldn't help but nod at his confidante's statement. Her performance with the Feng Shui Engine had exceeded his expectations, and her desire for excitement guaranteed that she would continue to use the device. Despite the malfunctions that would occasionally befall it, Juri considered the eye her 'favorite toy'. Absolutely nothing permanent had befallen her on account of the eye, and the new fangs, although out of place, could possibly do their part in future extortion attempts.

"Did you call me up here to ogle me, or did you have something for me to play with?" Juri asked as she folded her arms across her chest.

"A new assignment? No, nothing of the sort," Seth said dismissively. "However, I do have information on an _upcoming _assignment."

"Lay it on me."

Seth rose from his seat and turned to a set of consoles for a moment before speaking.

"I have received word from our sources in America that there's been an increase in Shadaloo activity. It would seem that our mutual friend Bison is none too happy about the recent attack against his precious dam base in India- excellent work, by the way," Seth added as he turned to pace about. "While Shadaloo is nothing more than a shell of its former self at the moment, their name still carries great weight amongst the various gangs and crime syndicates in America. If they were to support Bison in his efforts to rekindle his empire in North America, our own foothold will become all but nonexistent. We have studied their movements long and hard enough to… oh…"

With words like 'long and hard', an immature giggle from the Korean was as likely as the sun rising in the morning. Seth grimaced and waited for her to call him out on his slip-up, but she remained silent. Perhaps she was just saving the moment for later. If that was the case, Seth wanted to get the humiliation out of the way quickly instead of having to endure the woman bringing up his faults in the future. He shrugged and continued his train of thought.

"We have studied Shadaloo's activity enough to know that they will head to the eastern coast. Before you came in, I had the misfortune of speaking with one of the leaders of the infamous Mad Gear gang that is situated in Metro City. Before his mental illness began to speak for itself, he revealed that they have not yet been contacted by Shadaloo. This provides us an opportunity to enlist their services, or at the very least…" Seth coughed awkwardly. "At the very least, they can impart some of their 'street knowledge' onto us."

The silence was deafening. It seemed that Seth was the only one in his office. Usually, Juri would interrupt like a harpy with her snide comments, or at the very least some coo of anticipation. Seth turned his head to stare at her and found that she was listening diligently. That was what it looked like at first, but upon closer inspection, he noticed her eyes were not focused on him. Instead, she was looking at something to his right.

Seth followed her gaze to a large fish tank filled with a variety of rare and exotic fish. It was an addition he remembered fondly, for Juri expressed no interest in it whatsoever. She did, however, remark that fish were one of the most boring animals in existence, and in a rare moment of generosity, she offered to get Seth a shark to spice up his office. Obviously he turned down her offer, and she never bothered with the fish again. Now, it seemed that the animals swimming about in front of her were the most interesting things in her life.

Watching the woman for a moment, Seth snapped his fingers.

"Juri, are you paying attention?"

Juri snapped back and gave Seth her full attention. She blinked once and nodded.

"What did I say?"

"Shadaloo may be gaining support with two-bit thugs. Metro City is going to be their next target. Mad Gear gang could help us," Juri droned out.

"…Alright then," Seth muttered. He turned back to the consoles and brought up a small map of Metro City. "Now, we need this foothold in America, and if we are able to nab one of the largest American cities in the process, the entire eastern coast will soon come to support us. But of course, they will not know that they are doing so. Shadaloo is the household name, the boogeyman underneath the bed. S.I.N… well, we're in the closet, but we are always ready to strike at a moment's notice."

The sound of water splashing caught his ear, and he turned his head to look over at Juri. She was staring at him with an exasperated expression, as if she was infuriated that he was checking up on her. Other than the slight glistening of damp gloves, Seth found nothing out of the ordinary.

"In a week's time, we are going to take the city on our terms, and the Mad Gears are going to assist us, whether they agree to it or not." Smiling wickedly, Seth sat down in his chair and folded his hands. "A disturbance here, a distraction here… it will be all we need to remove the self-righteous officials that are troublesome for any organization looking to ascend. I need you to be ready in case things go sour. I suggest you prepare accordingly."

Seth watched as Juri gave a toothy grin and nodded. He knew his confidante would prepare for this operation, as it would provide her a break from the monotony of S.I.N.'s usual business. Courier duty was wasted on her, and she was a much better fighter than she was a talker. Her honeyed words and sly charms had made her a favorite among the researchers, but she was overshadowed by Crimson Viper. This time, the operation would be all hers to enjoy. For Juri, it would be a gift.

The woman turned to leave the office and only stopped when she found herself back in the corridors of the facility. When the doors to Seth's office closed, her grin vanished completely. She opened her mouth and picked at her teeth before she managed to pull something out. When she held the object up to look at it, she widened her eyes and gagged.

Dangling between her thumb and finger was the small bone of a fish.

_'What the hell's gotten into me?' _she thought, flabbergasted.

She looked about to ascertain nobody was looking before she threw the bone off to the side. Under no circumstances would she have conceived the idea to grab a fish from Seth's fish tank, nor would she have the nerve to actually eat it when she got it. There was just something about that yellow flounder that caught her attention and would not let go. In fact, every little gilled animal had caught her eye. It was as if she was supposed to pay attention to them, but eat them?

There were many ideas and thoughts that she had acted on without a second thought, but this eating of a fish was not one of them. She did not even think for a second. It was as if it was an instinctual need. Surely she was not too hungry. She was famished, as she had slept through most of the day, but that was not enough to nab a fish and eat it up bones and all. If her hunger had persuaded her to do that, she figured she would have to silence the voice in her stomach before it gave her more inane suggestions.

After satisfying her stomach and getting in some late night training on a practice dummy, which she managed to shred when she practiced backhands and punches, she returned to her quarters. There was nothing left to do in the day except sleep, but certain problems arose that prevented her from doing so. Something had her riled, and she did not welcome the feeling. It was a massive headache coupled with her unexpended energy that kept her awake.

Juri did not understand why her head ached, as she had suffered no blows there. She also was not hungover from a night of drinking. The first thing she did when she returned from India was pester the few scientists that were up at the time, so the pain made no sense. To her, it felt as if someone was attacking the sides of her head with a cheese grater. The irritating feeling bothered her to points where she could only hold her head and grimace. A few couple aspirin coupled with some water did a pathetic job of alleviating her pain, and she wondered if she would ever get to sleep.

Fortunately, Juri did eventually drift off to sleep. _Un_fortunately, it was a very short sleep, as her alarm clock rang out after only two hours of it. The sound was excruciatingly loud for her, louder than it should have been. Ignoring the feeling of Déjà vu, Juri kicked her nightstand and destroyed the alarm clock. She would not stand for screeching in her ears after an agonizing headache.

When she moved about to perform her morning rituals, a few peculiarities made themselves known. Juri noticed that the smallest of sounds became louder and the more muffled sounds became clearer when she focused on them. It would seem that her sense of hearing had improved, and the same could be said for her sight. There was no need to turn on the lights, as the dark room she woke up in was bright enough to her naked eye. In fact, every sense seemed much more acute that usual, but Juri was not complaining.

There was a grunt in displeasure when she noticed her purple fingernails. They were sharper than they were yesterday, and if Juri didn't know better, she would have called her fingers claws. Fighting would be much more interesting with them at her disposal. A lot of people froze at the sight of their own blood, and the sharpened fingernails practically begged for Juri to see that. The claws on her hand gave Juri a terrible sense of foreboding, and instead of accepting them as they were, she decided to whittle them down to a manageable size.

She turned to a small, private bathroom and looked through a few cupboards before finding a small bag filled with toiletries. As she took out her filer and began to work on her nails, Juri glanced up at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Other than a few subtle changes, she was still herself. Same black and purple breastplate, same baggy white trousers, same black belt, and the same black and purple accents. She was too preoccupied with her headache and boredom to take off her clothes for sleep.

Her violet eyes shined lightly when she stared at them. She had heard the scientists speak about a 'bleeding effect' that came from using the Feng Shui Engine, and that one of the effects would be fierce violet eyes that glowed faintly in the dark. Since the effect was coupled with increased energy and vitality, Juri never lost sleep over it. Glowing eyes didn't seem too bad as long as they served their intimidating purpose.

Juri sighed as she looked at her hair. Not only had she neglected to take off her outfit, but she had left her hair up in its usual hairstyle. Two raven-colored bangs flanked either side of her face and two small hair buns rested on top of her head. The buns looked eerily similar to the fangs of a spider, or the horns of a devil. Purple rings accented the buns, but their role was merely to support the hairy bodies. Juri was about to start on her other hand's fingernails when she caught movement in her field of view.

"Hmm?"

One of her hair buns twitched just slightly enough to catch her attention. Juri looked at it for a moment before shrugging. One of the perks of having such an odd hairstyle was that it was distracting to other fighters. Any bit of movement that wasn't attributed to attacks was welcomed, be it the swish of a belt or the gentle sway of hips. Shaking her head, Juri tried to get back to her filing job when the other hair bun twitched in the same manner as the other.

Upon closer inspection, Juri found that her purple rings had either shrunk or left their color behind, as she could see her hair buns had two small purple streaks each. They were spaced about like her purple rings usually were. A quick reach up to one of them revealed that her purple rings were actually nonexistent. Between her fingers, Juri did not feel the familiar raven-colored hair, but something completely different. It was soft, fleshy and... Was that fur?

Widening her eyes, Juri watched as both 'hair buns' twitched again.

"A-are those…"

* * *

"…Cat ears?"

Juri looked up at Cammy and scowled. After she had finished screaming about her newly acquired ears in the comfort of her room, she had thought back to what might have caused such a terrible transformation. The Feng Shui Engine would never malfunction to the point of twisting DNA, and Seth wouldn't be stupid enough to directly torment her. She was not injected with any strange fluids, nor was she exposed to any of the typical comicbook radiation or bites that usually brought about change.

India provided the answer. Ever since her return from that dreaded place, things had started to change for the worse. Juri had not made contact with any of the locals other than when she was moving to her extraction point, and none of them had done anything to her. They were too frightened of her to even lift a finger. No, the only person who could have brought upon her animalistic change had to be someone who hated her.

When Bison contemplated his own mortality, he created a perfect female clone of himself complete with all bells and whistles attached. Cammy White was that clone, and technically the daughter of Bison. She broke free from his mind control and rebelled against her creator, eventually finding herself in the employ of a British paramilitary organization dedicated to stopping Shadaloo and other crime syndicates. Because Cammy was a perfect clone of the dictator, she had the potential to use the infamous Psycho Power.

However, Cammy's soul was much more pure than Bison's was. All that was good had to be purged from her heart before she could utilize the power, and yet, Cammy had no desire to do so. To become another Bison was a fate worse than death. In a rare moment of inconceivable hatred and vengeance, the doll must have accidentally tapped into her power while wishing ill for Juri, thus, a curse. The Korean figured her theory made very little sense, but it was much more understandable than anything else she had.

Besides, who else but a maniac cat lover would have the nerve to turn her rival into a cat?

"That's right, look at me," Juri growled. "Revel in your accomplishment. You won't live long enough to regret it!"

Juri pushed herself up of from the ground and came at Cammy again. The Englishwoman was still quite shocked from seeing Juri with many catlike features that she hardly noticed a kick until it connected. She stumbled to the left and suffered a follow-up strike that knocked her to the ground. Cringing from the pain, Cammy rolled over to avoid a downward slash of claws.

"Hold still!"

From her words to the way her eyes radiated sheer hatred, Juri honestly wanted Cammy dead at her feet. She would not stop her assault until then. This was nothing but a misunderstanding, or a misconception on Juri's part. Cammy had done nothing wrong to her besides performing her duties, and that in part may have mildly annoyed those criminal minds unfortunate enough to experience the sting of the Killer Bee.

But Juri did not know that.

The two fought tooth and nail in the dimly lit alley. Because Juri's condition was so foreign, Cammy tried her best to keep her distance. The Korean never did let her have even a second of rest with her kicks of pursuit, and as a consequence, she let herself completely open to attack. She was on the offensive and did not even think about defense until Cammy grabbed onto her leg. She tried to shake the woman off, but Cammy's grip was firm.

In the blink of an eye, Cammy leaped up onto her opponent's shoulders and rammed her head down. An audible clunk echoed through the alley as skulls bashed against each other. Dazed and in pain, Juri began to fall back only to have Cammy slide off her shoulders and grab onto her arm. A painful twist put tremendous strain on Juri's arm before she found herself flat on her stomach with asphalt in her face.

_'This is the stupidest idea I've ever had,' _Cammy thought as she reached for the back of Juri's neck. _'But it's the best I have at the moment…'_

Juri felt fingers brush against her neck and hissed again. She tried to push herself up, to kick Cammy once again, but something happened. Every muscle in her body tensed and locked up when the back of her neck was grasped. It was an odd and calm feeling, and Juri briefly thought of her mother. The thought vanished as quickly as it had appeared when Cammy pulled Juri up off the ground by her neck.

The Englishwoman stared at the Korean in her grasp with shocked disbelief. She looked like she was paralyzed in her grasp. The only thing that betrayed that concept was the fact that Juri's eyes darted about before settling on Cammy. Cats were known to become paralyzed and calm when someone grasped them by the scruff of their neck, and if Juri had a few feline features, it was likely that the same tactic would work on her.

"Well… this is certainly a surprise," Cammy chuckled.

"L-l-let g-go of m-me…" Juri grunted through a frozen grimace.

"Let go of you? Why? So you can scream and try to kill me again?" Brandishing a fist near Juri's face, Cammy continued, "You'll pay for what you've done to me, to Guile, to Chun-Li, and my sisters. I should turn you in right now, but you wouldn't get justice."

"W-why?"

"You're different. Cat ears, cat eyes, claws, fangs…" Cammy looked around at Juri's backside and narrowed her eyes. "No tail though… Still, you wouldn't rot in a cell. You'd be placed in a laboratory to be examined, and you'd receive treatment in there than you would behind bars."

When Juri began to squirm in Cammy's hold, the woman retaliated by readjusting her grip on the back of her neck.

"Let me clarify something for you, Juri," Cammy said, hissing her enemy's name. "If you thought your condition was my doing, you're not only wrong, you're insane. But that's nothing new now, is it?"

Juri's ears flattened against her head at that comment.

"Prisons and laboratories are out of the question. I can't have you running around London in your current state, but I'm not going to let you out of my sight." Cocking a sneer, Cammy lightly tapped Juri's nose with a finger. "Ohohoho, I've got just the thing for you, Juri."

"W-w-what?"

"My brand of house arrest."


	3. Copious Confinement

"Gack! Nnggg!"

"Quit struggling! I'm not trying to kill you just yet!"

Juri continued to lash about without much success. With her newfound weakness discovered, the woman found herself completely at the mercy of someone who was anything but merciful that night. Cammy had exploited the feline neckhold enough to put her rival in a sleeper-hold, and with her strong grip, Juri was not going anywhere. Darkness began to cloud her vision, and not even the nightsight that cats were gifted with could help her see through it.

She tried to pry Cammy's arms away from her neck and into biting range, but the hold was unwavering. On her knees, her legs were worthless. A kick could not save her, and not even a headbutt, which Juri had tried before, could loosen Cammy's grip. As her consciousness waned, her last thoughts drifted to fond imaginations of eviscerating anything and anyone when she regained consciousness. Her eyelids fluttered once before dropping down to seal her fate.

A cold silence wafted throughout the alley. It was not uncomfortable as before, but rather peaceful. Cammy looked down at Juri and found that she was no longer squirming in her hold. If she didn't know better, she would have thought she killed her. Instead, the gentle rise and fall of her chest showed that the cursed Korean was simply unconscious. Cammy breathed a sigh of relief before opening her arms. Immediately, Juri fell down to the concrete and remained still in a sprawled out position.

Many thoughts swam through Cammy's mind. Juri Han, the woman who had stolen her sisters and put Chun-Li in intensive care, was completely at her mercy. The Delta Red operative could kill her now and solve a lot of troubles in the world, but that would only give a small sliver of satisfaction. Certainly there were others who had been hurt by that psychopath, and as such, they deserved a shot at revenge. Confining her to an inescapable prison for all eternity was good enough, but there had to be more revenge to extract.

Torture was not beneath Cammy. There were many grunts and goons that had the misfortune of being interrogated by the blond, but never had she done it for pleasure. Information was the key, and she exploited every trick in the book to get what she needed for her organization. As she looked down at the motionless body, a sinister smile flashed across her face. Juri was a part of S.I.N., and not much was known about the elusive organization outside of conjecture. Not much was known about Juri herself either… but Cammy couldn't care less to know what went on inside her rival's head. Any information on the enemy, however, was much appreciated and could quite possibly save countless lives.

"Well then, up for a little interrogation?" Cammy asked. She paused for a few seconds before her smile faded. "You are? Good. So am I."

After picking up her red cloak, Cammy bent down to pick Juri up and placed her over her shoulder. With her strength, she hardly noticed the weight. Perhaps Juri had lost a few pounds as a side-effect of this… curse, as there were hardly any other reasons for her increased nimbleness. She wasn't nimble enough to avoid a neckhold, though. With the darkness concealing her actions, Cammy reached up to pull her rival's hood back over her head. Hopefully, no one would stop her to question the thing on her shoulder.

Despite her curiosity, Cammy chose to stave off any examinations until she had Juri in a safe place free from prying eyes. The woman would also have to be placated before she could even be approached without injury. Strapping her down to something study and unmoving would work, although Cammy believed breaking a few bones would do the trick well enough. That seemed to be too extreme for the moment, as Juri was not the worst person in Cammy's world. Only Bison deserved such treatment, but Juri wasn't too far off from getting the same if she tested the Englishwoman's patience.

Cammy took off down the alleyway and stopped at the exit to ascertain whether or not she was being observed. An S.I.N. agent wouldn't be too confident- or stupid- to ambush a trained operative alone, would she? Surely someone was lying in wait, ready and willing to relay any bit of information that was shoveled their way. A strike now would put Cammy in a bad position, as with Juri over her shoulder, her maneuverability would be severely impaired. She glanced over her other shoulder for a few seconds before stepping out into the street.

Almost instantly, she felt much better. To go into an alley at night was to ask for trouble, and trouble usually answered in the bigger cities. Assassins and agents hardly ever had to make public statements, so standing out in the open made Cammy feel much more secure than- but what if a silenced rifle was being trained on her at this very moment? She stopped in midstride and shook her head to clear her paranoia. Juri would not have backup. The woman seemed like the type who hated to share, let alone work with others.

After a minute or so of walking, Cammy arrived at a small apartment complex. She looked up at the set of stairs that would lead up to her room and breathed a sigh of relief. With the pay from her job as a Delta Red operative as well as the pity pennies from the government, she was able to afford a decent-sized apartment in a nice area. There was a well-stocked kitchen, a furnished living room, a bathroom that was anything but cramped, and a bedroom that had a good view of downtown London. There was also a small guest room, one that Cammy could finally use.

Plenty of ideas surfaced in Cammy's mind as she glanced over at Juri. She wondered just what kind of interrogation methods would work on her, and whether or not the catlike appearance affected her behavior. Both of those ideas could be tested at the same time, if need be. Questions needed to be answered, and Cammy was fully prepared to extract answers from Juri. There was no doubt in her mind that the Korean would be extremely uncooperative, but how she would go about being so was unknown. With an unpredictable woman under lock and key, anything goes.

Not even two levels up, an older-looking woman bumped into Cammy as she trudged upstairs.

"Oh, dreadful sorry there dear," the woman mumbled as she looked up at the blond. She raised her eyebrows. "Cammy? Is that you? I'm surprised to see you here at this hour!"

"Ms. Sudana!" Cammy yelped, startled. "Oh! Um… yes. Ha ha, yeah, I know I usually get off from work today at a later time-"

"You didn't get fired, did you?"

"N-no! No of course not!" Trying in vain to pretend Juri was not draped over her shoulder, Cammy looked off to the side. "Just some time off, that's all. A week to rest and recover. R and R, you know how military men are…"

Cammy chuckled nervously and tried to brush past the older woman. Ms. Sudana was a small and thin woman with boney fingers and a penchant for sticking them in everyone's pie. As the landlord, that was part of her job. She was an odd duck of a woman with many quirks, but many of the tenants found her to be pleasant company when she wasn't being nosy. And she wasn't a sucker either, as she could easily tell that something was wrong with the woman Cammy carried on her shoulder.

"Who's that you got there?" she asked in an innocent tone.

A small 'eep' of surprise escaped Cammy's mouth as she stopped in her tracks. There was no simple way of avoiding this situation. Telling the truth would only cause a disturbance, and she did not want to involve an innocent woman in her task. It would take an insane amount of trust and respect for the landlord to believe that one of her tenants was carrying around a crazed murderer that just so happened to look like a cat. Only one solution was apparent, and it was not one that Cammy enjoyed calling upon.

"W-who, this?" Cammy asked as she cocked her head in Juri's direction. "Um… A friend… She had a bit too much to drink over at the t-tavern and knocked herself out. I figured she'd be better off staying at my place until she sobers up."

"Ah, that's awfully kind of you dear," Ms. Sudana said with a smile. She raised an eyebrow and pointed to the small protrusions on Juri's black hood. "Err… what's she got on under there?"

"Uh… These little bumps? They're ah… uh…"

Cammy bit her lip and decided to make up a story, also known as to cook up one hell of a lie. She pulled Juri's hood back to reveal her cat ears to the landlord.

"Cat ears… She was at this convention for uh… cats, you see. Before she was at the tavern, I mean. She likes to dress up as the little things for fun." Gesturing to herself, Cammy continued. "I was there for awhile. Got to see some neat things and meet some interesting people."

"A cat convention?" Ms. Sudana asked.

_'Oh god, she doesn't believe it… I'm ruined!' _Cammy screamed in her mind.

The landlord stared at Cammy and Juri for the longest time before she finally shrugged.

"Eh, 'bout time. I hear there are conventions for just about anything these days. Kids have too much time on their hands nowadays if you ask me." Ms. Sudana smiled. "That reminds me, I have a grandson who goes to those convention things. He likes to dress up as one of those white armored soldiers from that old space wars movie and mingle with the crowd. Calls it cosplaying. I call it crossdressing. Ah… Have I ever told you about my grandson?"

"Y-yes, yes, you have. Many times," Cammy stuttered. "Miss, I really must get her up to my room before she wakes up and vomits in the hallway."

"That's fine," the landlord replied as she turned to move down the stairs. "Have a good night Cammy. Oh! Don't take advantage of your friend while she's drunk up there!"

"I wouldn't dream of such an idea!" Cammy said with a laugh. "You have a good night as well, Ms. Sudana."

She watched the landlord descend the flight of stairs before glancing over at Juri. Chuckling evilly, Cammy muttered,

"Oh no… I would never dream of taking advantage of such a _dear friend_."

With a firm readjustment of her charge upon her shoulder, Cammy proceeded back up the stairs. She went up a few levels before edging out into a plain white-walled hallway with red carpet. A few minor paintings hung here and there along with a hanging basket or two to provide some much needed atmosphere. Cammy reached into a pocket in her red cloak and pulled out a small set of keys. She stopped at one of many red doors and glanced at the golden numbers at the top before inserting a key into the lock.

Room 747: home sweet home.

A soft meow greeted her as she entered her apartment. A small cream-colored cat bounded into the kitchen where Cammy had entered and looked up at her owner with anticipation. Usually, if the woman came in at this time of night like normal people did, a surprise was in store. It had to be a new toy, a can of tuna, a spice of catnip or something interesting. Even the usual adoring attention would have been a welcome thing.

The cat noticed the woman slumped over Cammy's shoulder and took a few tentative steps back. It was a new face, and many animals weren't exactly trusting of new people. Flattening its ears against its head, the cat growled and sat on its haunches. Cammy noticed her cat and shot it a look of apology before moving around it.

"I'm sorry Daisy, we're going to be having a guest for some time," she grunted disdainfully.

Cammy maneuvered her way through her living room and threw away any thoughts of a quiet night alone with a movie. Trouble just seemed to follow her around like a shadow, and while she could tear away and put it behind her for awhile, it never stayed out of sight. With Juri here, things would be much more interesting, but Cammy wasn't anticipating a jaw-dropping experience. A jaw-breaking one? Most likely. She chuckled at that before opening a door at the end of a hallway.

"Don't worry sweetie, I'll make sure to make her feel right at home."

The guest room of Ms. White's apartment was not much to look at. Seeing as no-one ever stayed at her place long enough to sleep there, Cammy did not furnish the room as completely as others did. There was a small bed along with a wooden nightstand shoveled up against the wall along with a few pictures, but that was it. Some boxes poked out from the closet, some of which had a few knick-knacks stored within while others had photo albums and memorabilia. The room was more of a storage closet than it was a guest room, but that was perfectly alright with Cammy's plan.

Once again, the Brit dropped Juri to the ground, albeit softer and quieter this time. As much as it pained her to believe it, inflicting a few injuries and wounds would do more harm than good for her. Delta Red would have her reprimanded for losing her temper, and Juri would use her treatment as a cry for sympathy from the public. A psychotic like her could easily garnish support with an innocent mask, and Cammy would only be able to watch as the witch walked away with a lighter sentence.

That just would not do.

Cammy reached down and removed Juri's black cloak without even thinking of the other woman's modesty. Underneath the cloak was the Korean's usual ensemble that she usually wore, and while that strangely disappointed Cammy, she was nevertheless relieved that there was nothing new that could be used against her. She searched for pockets and weapons for a moment before deciding to take away the woman's spiked bracelets and purple gloves for safety's sake.

Depositing the items in a pocket of her cloak, Cammy then reached for Juri's black belt. She quickly undid the skull-like buckle and slid the belt out from the notches in the white trousers. If she did not take the belt away, there was no doubt that Juri would use it to strangle Cammy, or, if she was feeling playful, she would use it as a whip when in a dominant position. Under no sane circumstances would she be allowed to get into such a position on Cammy's watch.

The Delta Red agent left the room to stash her cloak and Juri's items away before returning with a set of handcuffs. She grabbed Juri by her sides and pressed her back up against the bed. She slapped the handcuffs around her wrists, but not before snaking the steel chain around one of the bedposts. Cammy positioned the chain so that if Juri struggled and tried to free herself, she would hit a wooden beam above her wrists as well as one below her. The woman would have to find a way to break the bedpost, or at the very least try to saw her way out. But that was as unlikely as Dan Hibiki getting a date.

"Alright, let's take a look here," Cammy muttered as she squatted down in front of Juri.

The very first thing Cammy reached for was Juri's new cat ears. Her raven-colored hair spilled its color on them, but the ears were not as much hairy as they were furry. Cammy rubbed one between her thumb and fingers just to get a feel for them before edging in for a closer look. Whitish hair poked out just slightly from the peach-colored ear interior, further proving that something was amiss with an already troubled woman. It would have been cute for a cat lover to see, but Cammy shook her head in disgust.

Next, the claws. Cammy was both relieved and disturbed by the fact that Juri's hands did not resemble paws, as that meant she was not completely lost in a transformation, but it also meant that the woman had another weapon that could not be easily taken away. If she had more time, Cammy would have filed the claws down to a manageable size. The same would go for the elongated fangs, but the threat of a bite was almost certain if she stuck her hand near Juri's mouth. The woman fought like a wild beast, and a wounded, cornered one was a dangerous situation to handle.

It seemed that the catlike Korean's features ended there, but still there was something amiss. Knowing that she was trying her luck, Cammy leaned forward and looked over her rival's face. Other than the ears, the face was still completely human. However, a few tiny lines jutted out from her cheeks in such a way that Cammy couldn't help but flick one of them. With a small smile of amusement, she discovered that the lines were in fact, whiskers. They were not yet fully developed, but there they were.

Without warning, violet eyes snapped open to glare into baby blue orbs. Before Cammy jumped back, she made out the animalistic shape of the Korean's pupils staring angrily at her. The gnashing teeth came quickly behind the glare, as well as a toothy scowl of malicious intent. Juri was up, and she was none too happy about her current predicament. She tried to stand, but she encountered resistance. Turning her head to the side, she looked at her constrained wrists.

"D-dammit!" she growled. "Well, isn't this brilliant. You th-"

The sound of someone cocking a firearm silenced her. Juri turned back to Cammy and found that she had a handgun clutched securely in her right hand and near her hip. It was not pointed at her just yet, but it was ready to fire at a moment's notice. The Delta Red agent seemed to be at odds with using it, seeing as it was a permanent solution to her problem and that it was a rather loud one at that. Given that, however, she was not about to hesitate in killing Juri if she became more of a threat.

"What's this? Already had your fun with me and now you're going to off me?" Juri hissed. "Cammy, I'm hurt! Not only that, I'm-"

"Shut up."

Juri held her tongue for a moment as she registered the anger in Cammy's voice. Despite her position, she was not about to give the woman any ground. A cruel smile slowly washed across the Korean's features, and it only widened further when she saw Cammy's frown turn into a grimace.

"Angsty tonight? Let me guess, you-"

"You don't get to talk!" Cammy shouted as she leveled her handgun at Juri. "I am sick and tired of your voice and every lie that comes out of your mouth! You're going to sit there, and you can just wallow in shame for all I care."

Silence ebbed into the room, but the expressions and air about the two women spoke volumes. Juri held no fear in her eyes as she stared into the barrel of Cammy's handgun while Cammy readjusted her grip with a disgusted grunt. Now that Juri was up and somewhat active, the repercussions of having her inside an apartment complex suddenly revealed themselves. There would be hell of an amount of noise, and the guest room was not soundproof enough to stem the tide of screams, shouts, and yells. Someone would take notice of the commotion and call the authorities, and things would unravel.

A bead of sweat slowly trickled down Cammy's forehead. Perhaps bringing Juri to her home under house arrest was a bad idea. If she got out, she would make a mess of the place before she escaped, if she was planning on it. For all Cammy knew, the woman would just get loose and focus on killing her instead of wrecking the place. Or she could do that and then set fire to the drapes on her way out. And Cammy liked the drapes.

"Don't I get read the Miranda rights or something?" Juri asked quickly, jubilantly.

"You have no rights. You've thrown most of them away by joining S.I.N., and the rest followed when you crossed me," Cammy replied. "And what did I say about talking?"

"Like I'm gonna listen to you," Juri replied. She looked at the gun for a moment before shaking her head. "Really? A gun? Jeez Cammy, if you want to kill a man, you look 'em in the eyes. Don't just pop 'em and run off like a coward. Come on, hit me. You know you want to."

Cammy sighed and lowered her firearm.

"Under a gun and all and you're not frightened in the slightest…"

"Why would I be? You're cuter than you are scary, kitten," Juri quipped.

A mischievous grin worked its way onto Cammy's face at Juri's words. It was an expression that Juri had not expected.

"That goes for you too," Cammy chortled. "I'll give you that you do look just a tiny bit intimidating, but that's offset by your cute wittle ears, your cute wittle eyes, and your cute wittle whiskers."

Juri's smile faded as she heard Cammy's condescending voice.

"What the… Whiskers?" She tried to reach for her cheeks, but her constrained wrists reminded her again of her situation. "I don't have whiskers…"

"Oh yes you do, see?"

Before Juri could retaliate, Cammy reached forward and grabbed onto one of her whiskers. She gave a quick tug to confirm their presence and nearly giggled when she heard a pained gasp. Juri twisted her head away from Cammy's hand and widened her eyes.

"What the hell? They weren't there last time I checked!" Growling, Juri shot Cammy a deathly glare. "You liar! You did have something to do with this!"

"I had nothing to do with it, remember?" Cammy shot back as she retreated.

"Then who did?" Juri shouted. "Who did this to me then?"

"Are you sure this isn't just karma catching up with you for all the trouble you've caused?" The Korean's face twisted into a confused and agitated frown. "It could be fate for all I know. Maybe your superiors, if you have any, finally got fed up with your behavior and decided to teach you a lesson."

"Nobody messes with me… Nobody, you hear me?"

Cammy frowned and narrowed her eyes.

"Sure, whatever you think. I don't know who did this to you, and frankly, I couldn't give a damn about it. However, you're more of a liability now, and-"

"Yes, yes, laboratories and prisons and other crap. I heard you before," Juri grumbled.

It was still true, though. With Juri in her current state, a scientist would take more interest in her than a warden would. Even if she was put into a prison, she would tear people apart with her claws or blow up the building with the Feng Shui Engine, although Cammy had yet to see the woman use her eye lately. Even still, there was the possibility that Juri would be placed in an asylum for the mentally deranged, and that was if she pleaded insanity. She would find comfort there that she would not receive if she was put in a cell.

Begrudgingly, Cammy accepted the idea that while Juri looked catlike, she was untouchable. Almost untouchable, as Cammy was prepared to do whatever it took to pry information off of her enemy, even if it meant physical or mental abuse. Still, Delta Red would most likely frown upon her actions and label them as use of excessive force, and the woman would be hung out to dry.

"How long are you planning on keeping me like this?" Juri asked as she wiggled her fingers. "We're both busy people, ya know. I've got asses to kick while you've got ass to show."

"I think I'll keep you locked up in here until you look like a human being again. God knows that's going to be hard for you to look presentable," Cammy spat. "In the meantime, you can sit right there and make yourself at home."

"Gimme a few minutes of freedom and I'll break this place in for my liking," Juri shot back as she glanced about at the room. "Just where are we anyway? Some pathetic little hobble?"

Choosing not to answer, Cammy turned away to move to the door. She could hear the chain of the handcuffs rattle as Juri tried to break them. It wouldn't do much good when the guard was present, but she couldn't care less.

"You know how this is going to play out, right?" Juri mused out loud.

"What is?" Cammy asked as she turned around.

"This. The way I see it, this can only end in one of three ways. One, you piss me off enough and I ram my hand through your chest. Two, you try to break me down; which I think is highly unlikely. And three, you and I manage to tolerate each other just enough to have a little fun together." Juri muttered, "I like the third one the best."

"Hmm… Fourth option: I get the information I want out of you before I ring your neck," Cammy coolly replied.

"That doesn't sound as fun as the other options," Juri muttered before flashing Cammy a lewd look. "How about you take these cuffs off so we can get better acquainted?"

"How about I shove a canary up your coalmine?"

Another bout of silence, but this time it was broken by Juri's giggles. She eventually brought herself up to a steady stream of laughter, having found Cammy's comeback utterly hilarious. Cammy, however, did not find the situation to be so and chose to walk back to the door. An idea formed in her head, and it was just as brilliant as the idea fifteen minutes ago in the alley, which is to say it was just as stupid. However, if Juri was anything like the cat she looked like, she would be powerless against it.

"Ha? H-hey! Don't you dare walk away from me!" Juri huffed when she caught the woman leaving her.

"Don't worry Juri, I'll be back. I wouldn't want to leave a guest unattended now…"

A string of foreign curses filled Cammy's ears along with a series of grunts and rattles when she closed the door on her way out. There was much to do, and even more to ask. Interrogating a suspect was always interesting, as no two people were the same. New tactics and procedures were constantly being made to account for strange situations, and Cammy already had one such situation on her hands. If the woman was successful in extracting information, she could be looking at a promotion as well as another nail in Shadaloo's coffin.

She moved over to her kitchen and started to pull open a few cabinets when the phone rang. It was an unwelcome sound, and Cammy jumped a little at how close it was to her. Looking to her right, she spotted the annoying contraption on a counter. The first thing she noticed was the caller ID, and she visibly paled when she read who was calling. George Ginzu, the young and eccentric tech expert of Delta Red, was calling at a late hour.

While not sure why, Cammy reached for the phone and answered the call.

"H-hello? Geor-"

"Cammy!" George shouted from the other line. "Hey! Quick question for you: do you like plays?"

Taken aback, Cammy thought for a moment. George was a weird little man with a variety of interests, most of which pertained to technology. He would usually be found working on some new device with unprecedented enthusiastic energy, and he was not one for sitting still. The Shakespearian plays of old did not seem to be of much interest to him, but Cammy enjoyed them. Many of the plays had deep, underlying meanings to them while others taught the woman valuable things in her quest for knowledge. There was still much for the doll to learn, given that she had only been freed of Bison's control almost six years ago.

Nodding her head, Cammy answered,

"Um… yes, I like plays… uh, why do you ask?"

"Yeah I know this is out of the blue and all, but long story short, I came across a few tickets for a comedy play and figured a few of my mates would enjoy some humor. I already gave one to Matthew, and the big lummox put on the widest grin I've ever seen." The sound of welding transferred through the phone for a few seconds before George asked, "Do you want a ticket? I've got a few to spare."

"S-sure!" Cammy exclaimed. "What's the name of the play, if I might ask?"

"_The Other Knights_. It's supposed to be a parody of King Arthur's round table, but I think they're going to put in some new material."

"Huh… Alright, that seems interesting. So, I gu-"

The sound of Juri shouting from the other room carried over into the kitchen. Cammy could make out a few derogatory names as well as a painfully detailed procedure the Korean would enjoy putting Cammy through. She winced when she heard George's questioning voice cut through the phone.

"Uh, Cammy? Do you have someone staying with you, or is that the T.V?"

Conflict arose from the techie's question. Cammy was a brilliant operative, and a good team player. To lie to a comrade was to put shame to Delta Red and all the trust she had built. On one hand, if Cammy told the truth about Juri, the jig would be up and the woman would receive easy treatment for as long as it took for her to escape. On the other hand, if she lied, she would be able to keep Juri a secret for just a while longer until her condition wore of, if it wore off. Plus, it was about time Juri received some personal punishment for her sins. But the S.I.N. agent was too much of a threat for Cammy to deal with on her own…

…and for that reason, she needed an effective arsenal. Throwing caution to the wind, Cammy replied,

"Uh… no, it's just the telly. Say, George? You have a dog, right? Do you have anything in your repertoire that could help with a little problem of mine?"

* * *

"You little worm! When I get out of this, I'm gonna…" Juri looked down at her legs and managed to push herself up just a little more before the handcuffs banged against the top beam of the bed's wooden chassis. "Son of a… Why does everything have to be so damn hard? No matter, Juri, you like challenges…"

As soon as Cammy had left, Juri had gone to work on trying to free herself. She was determined to escape, not only because she did not like being constrained, but because she knew that she was being looked down upon. The smug sense of superiority practically radiated from the British woman as she left, and Juri wanted nothing more than to break free and break some bones. The bones of an Englishwoman, mind you. She jingled the chain that constrained her wrists once more before sliding down to the carpet.

The woman had changed, and she reluctantly began to accept that fact. New claws, new teeth, new ears, and even a set of whiskers confirmed that she was turning into a cat. Juri glanced down at her uncovered feet and breathed a sigh of relief when they looked the same as any other human pair. There was neither fur nor mutated toes that shot out at her, and for that she was glad. Other than a few tiny behavioral modifications, the curse she had been placed under only seemed to affect her appearance. The curse also seemed to have finished its work, as- other than the whiskers- nothing too glaring had sprung up recently.

But that didn't explain why her back had begun to ache.

Just as Juri tried to prop herself up in an attempt to kick the bed post, the door to her homely cell opened again. She glowered at Cammy as she entered, her gaze unwavering. If she disliked the woman for meddling in her affairs before, she hated her now more so than ever for both capturing and constraining her. The woman even had the nerve to mock her directly and attempt to embarrass her. It was just a shot at dominance. It didn't matter the circumstance; put two people in one room, and one of them will be bound to pull one over on the other.

Cammy looked down her nose at Juri and suppressed the urge to smirk.

"Seeing as you're going to be here for quite some time, I think now is the best time to tell me a little bit about your organization."

"Who was that you were talking to?" Juri pried.

"No-one you should concern yourself over," Cammy replied. "Answer my question."

"That wasn't a question, that was a suggestion. And you think? You think? I find that hard to believe," Juri laughed. "If you thought hard enough about this, you would have had the common sense to bring me someplace else. You know what your problem is? You don't think."

"Neither do you."

"Oh I think. You're the one following orders like an obedient lapdog. What did your Colonel say to do about me?"

The glower that Juri had once worn seemed to have been switched with Cammy's proud expression. Even when cornered, the Korean would not give ground, although her stance did weaken somewhat with the revelation of whiskers. She watched with a sense of accomplishment as her rival seethed in front of her. It begged for further instigation, but before Juri could let loose another word, the chilling effect of foreboding washed over her. She glanced at Cammy's hands and saw them reach around behind her before grabbing at an unseen item.

The handgun that Cammy had brandished was attached to her hip, but a new weapon was quickly brought out. The weapon was small and compact with a round bottom and a strange top. On closer inspection, the top, which Cammy had in her grip, resembled the nozzle on a hose when attached with a spray tip. The red trigger was held covetously by one index finger, and the see-through material of the entire weapon made it clear what it was. It was a spray bottle, and it was filled with water.

"I want a name," Cammy demanded as she leveled the bottle at Juri. "Who do you work for?"

Juri stared at the bottle for a moment before she began to chuckle. Not only was her rival annoying and self-righteous, she was insane as well. While the crazy ones were fun to fight, Juri had no intention of being subjected to their mad interrogation tactics. She decided to humor her, though.

"This game, huh? Alright, alright, I'll tell you," she said with a sneer. "S.I.N., or if you're behind in the news, the Shadaloo Intim-"

Immediately, a squirt of water splashed against her face and chest. The result was instantaneous, with Juri flinching back. Her eyes were as wide as teacups, and her hair seemed to stand on end. She looked as if she had just been shot, and in all essence, she had been. Cammy gave off a small grunt of interest and squeezed the handle on the nozzle again. Juri's ears flattened against her head and she cringed again as if the water was the bane of her existence.

"Hey! Don't do that!" she cried.

"Don't do what?" Cammy asked as she tilted her head. She contemplated for a few seconds before saying, "Oh! You mean this?"

She squeezed again and unleashed another bout of water.

"S-stop it!"

"You stop it!" Cammy retorted. "I already know you work for S.I.N! Don't get smart with me! I want to know who runs the whole ordeal; the one who you take orders from!"

Juri pressed up against the bedpost to such a degree that she would have melded into the material if she could. Her violet eyes held a new anger, but there was terror mixed in as well. She hated the water, and Cammy was exploiting that. As a cat enthusiast, she knew just how the felines ticked, and she knew that they despised water. Just like with the neckhold, if Juri looked like a cat, she was bound to act somewhat like one.

"I-I'm not telling you a damn thing," Juri spat.

"Oh really? Well… you're in for a hard night," Cammy growled before she squeezed again.


	4. A Tale of A Tail

Absent from the night were the cries of pain and anguish. Instead, muffled shouts and mild threats were heard throughout the apartment complex as well as a few bouts of childish sniggers. To the tenants who lived there and had the misfortune of trying to sleep that night, all they figured was that an argument was happening somewhere… in the middle of the night. Others presumed that a rowdy teenager was taking his stereo for a testrun, but no one ever thought that a pigtailed operative was 'torturing' a crazed catwoman.

Torture was not exactly the best word to describe the situation. Cammy brought up an assumption that Juri would take pleasure from harmful methods, whether on account of hidden masochistic desires or a sense of superiority. To torture the woman would be to give into her goading, and the blond-haired woman was better than that. Instead, the best tactic was not to torture her, but to discomfort her. The woman was at her wit's end after growing ears and whiskers, and almost every tactic that Cammy thought up and used had driven her over the edge.

But there was a job to do. Cammy, after practically giving Juri a bath from her spray bottle, finally pried a name off of her. The leader of S.I.N. was Seth, a relatively unknown individual who had shown his face once before. It was months ago when the wandering warrior by the name of Ryu had fought him, and Cammy remembered cursing herself for not being of much help during the operation. How could she be? She had been injured in a fight with Crimson Viper beforehand. Thankfully, she was present at the scene despite her condition and was quickly filled in.

She figured that Seth had been destroyed by Ryu just like Bison had been time and time again. The head of S.I.N. was learning not to trifle with those whose power outmatched his, but that didn't stop him from sending out goons and agents to do it for him. If he was still alive and sending his most dangerous agent to do his bidding, he was certainly a force to be reckoned with. Cammy demanded to know of the relationship between him and Juri, and after many false and lewd answers- one being a strange and vile romance-, the Korean revealed that she was his confidante.

"H-he likes to use that word a lot," Juri mumbled as she tried to ignore the water dripping off her. "Really, all it means is that he rants and raves and expects me to give a damn about it."

"And what does he rant and rave about?" Cammy prodded.

"…Nothing. Nothing at all."

Prolonged usage of the spray bottle had made Juri tolerant to whatever instinctual behaviors it enticed. When she was sprayed as punishment, she gritted her teeth and winced, but she did not give in and give up information. Cammy was not about to concede defeat, however, and she drummed up new methods to use against her rival. She figured that annoying Juri was akin to provoking a tiger, but the catwoman was chained and not much of a threat. It wasn't until she got kicked when she got too close that Cammy decided she wouldn't flick her ears.

She had grabbed a half-filled bottle of aspirin and shook it at times. With Juri's enhanced hearing, the incessant rattling of pills inside a plastic container had bothered her to no end. Only when she gave up information did the rattling stop, and even then Cammy was skeptical of it. Everything was run across twice to make sure it was correct. If it wasn't quite right, Cammy would torment Juri by hanging a cat toy just above her head. She would not spare a look at the toy, but instead give Cammy a look of unparalleled malicious intent.

"Just because I look like a stupid cat… doesn't mean I act like one!" she snapped.

"Hmm… So holding you by the back of your neck and spraying you with water doesn't work?" Cammy asked rhetorically.

Eventually, Juri would give an answer just to make her stop.

As the night went on, Juri became more and more uncooperative. Her usual snide and snappy comments became almost nonexistent. Instead, when asked a question, she would either completely ignore Cammy or complain about her predicament. One complaint was that her back ached as if someone was stabbing into it, but her captor attributed that to the bedpost she was tied to. Further complaints were ignored, as her comfort came second to Cammy's desire for information.

When the shouting and threats began to flow like the water from a refilled spray bottle, Cammy figured she had extracted enough information for one night. She retreated from the guest room after midnight with a sense of accomplishment. She was tired and somewhat stressed at having a murderer under lock and key in her home, but she was also proud that she had gotten many snips of valuable information. She learned that there was an abandoned Shadaloo dam base in India, a flourishing operation in Thailand that had yet to be routed, and many different and interesting sides to reports that Cammy had not heard before. There was a problem, however.

The problem of the situation was that it seemed that Juri was not so close to S.I.N. as originally thought, judging by her strange clothing and attitude. Someone loyal to the organization would keep their mouth shut, but she spoke after much prodding. Her words had to be taken with a pinch of salt if she wasn't close to the organization. Perhaps she was more of a mercenary than an agent, but that made little sense when Cammy took into account the Feng Shui Engine. The device was grade-A S.I.N. material. Surprisingly, Juri made no effort to utilize the device while captured. She did, however, hint at a malfunction of sorts.

"If I could get this eye to work," Juri growled as her animalistic eyes glinted, "I'd kill you."

To be safe, Cammy moved a chair in front of the door to the guest room and sat down for the remainder of the night. The muffled shouts behind the door eventually faded away as she absentmindedly cleaned her firearm. When things finally quieted, she allowed herself a few hours of rest. If the occupant made any attempts at escaping, granted that she freed herself from her handcuffs, she would topple Cammy over and wake her up. Should that happen, the guard would be prepared.

If things were not as they seemed, if Juri had control of her eye and had managed to get out of her predicament, the entire apartment complex would be leveled to the ground. Before she slept, Cammy spared a few angry thoughts about the situation and assumed that Juri was simply toying with her. Either the woman was completely at her mercy or she was luring her into a false sense of security. There was no gray area. Having one of the most dangerous women to ever walk the earth under lock and key and in submission was too good to be true, and Cammy found herself hoping that was the case.

To see such a powerful woman reduced to virtually nothing was not something the operative wanted to see, even if the Korean had severely wronged her.

The morning came quicker than expected. Cammy slowly awoke to the sensation of something licking her hand. Looking down, she saw her cream-colored cat had made itself a bed out of her lap. Its rasp-like tongue brushed against Cammy's skin for a moment longer before the cat went back to grooming itself. A gentle purr came from the creature when its owner lethargically stroked its fur. Such were the pleasures of having a beloved pet wake up the owner.

Cammy smiled and cuddled her cat briefly before putting it in a safe hold. She got up from her seat and maneuvered around the furniture in the living room to step into the kitchen. Although she figured her cat Daisy was really waking her up out of the kindness of her little feline heart, there had to be an ulterior motive. Cats were fickle like that. Upon arrival in the small kitchen, Cammy noticed an almost empty food dish.

"Of course, I should have known," Cammy muttered as she set Daisy down. "Why don't you catch a mouse if you're that hungry? You're a great hunter."

"Meow."

As Cammy searched through a cupboard for the cat food, a small coffee maker sparked to life. All of the morning rituals started at six o'clock, or earlier if there was a mission to deal with. Usually she would sit down with a newspaper or file to brush up on current events as she sipped from her coffee, but today was not the day for complacency. She dished out a bowl of cat food for Daisy and watched amusingly as the cat buried her head in the food. Cammy poured herself a small mug of coffee with cream and popped two halves of a bagel into a small toaster oven.

Looking at the hot liquid in her hand and the bagel halves in the oven brought forth a tinge of guilt in Cammy's heart. Here she was treating herself to breakfast and the comfort of mobility while a woman in the next room was sitting chained up against a bedpost with an empty stomach. But this was no ordinary, innocent woman. This was a woman who had killed about a dozen innocents, terrorized society, and had stolen Cammy's sisters. With that put into context, all guilt disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. There _might_ be food thrown Juri's way, but only if she cooperated.

Breakfast was a quick affair and was not savored. Cammy needed to get back to work as soon as possible, if not for extracting information then for further securing her prisoner. All the shouting and noise was unacceptable if Juri was to stay longer than intended. Cammy counted herself lucky that no-one came to knock on her door, as she couldn't possibly use the same excuse for every tenant that appeared. Instead, the tenants most likely assumed that the ex-doll was suffering through her nightmares again and decided against investigation. The woman was respected, and people gave her the solitude she needed.

A soft knocking came at the door before any actions could be taken. A mixture of relief and anxiety gripped Cammy as she stared at the front door. She knew that George Ginzu was there, hyper as usual. The boy had a knack for staying up late and waking up early, and he could never wait on something. His impatience was more of an asset than it was an inconvenience, as he managed to overclock all of Delta Red's computers just so they could keep up with him. Hopefully the young lad would pop in, give what needed to be given, then dash out without much conversation.

But since when did things ever go off without a hitch?

Cammy craned her neck to listen into the guest room for a moment before she walked to the door. Juri was still asleep, or she was simply keeping as quiet as a church mouse. The peace and quiet was a wondrous opportunity that Cammy did not feel like passing up, so she opened the door. Immediately she felt young arms snake around her waist and hold her close, and she let loose a sigh of exasperation. George's greeting was usually a big hug, and that was because he saw Cammy as a big sister alongside a coworker. The feeling was mutual, as the woman saw the young lad as the little brother she never had.

"Hello George," she muttered as she tussled the lad's hair.

"Cammy! I can always count on you being up in the morning!" George said quickly. He broke off his hug and flashed the woman a large grin. "You know that phone call last night? Well, I came to figure that instead of waiting for you to drop on by, why don't I pop on over and give you what ya wanted first thing tomorrow mornin'?"

Looking down at the young tech expert Cammy could see that his eyes were wide and brimming with energy. She could also see that there were dark circles underneath. The lad had most likely stayed up all night working on some project or playing video games. To get him through the morning, he had to have drunken coffee. Giving someone so young and full of energy more of it was akin to giving a chipmunk amphetamines… Cammy couldn't help but smile when she imagined that.

"Well, that was thoughtful of you!"

"I know right?" After diving into his pockets, George produced a ticket. "Here you are!"

The ticket was blue with gold trim and white letters. As Cammy took it, she could make out a small picture of a fat man encased in armor with a piece of mutton clenched between his teeth. Behind the man were eight other knights, but with the picture being so small, she could hardly make out any defining details. The important thing, though, was that she was impressed and was looking forward to seeing the production. It wasn't too often that someone eccentric and with deep pockets decided to put on a good show.

"Yep, that's it alright. _The Other Knights_… I imagine its-" Cammy's eyes widened when she looked at the date the play would start on. "-starting in three days?! Oh crumbs…"

"Hmm? What's wrong Cammy? You've almost got a whole week off! You're gonna be free on that day!"

"Oh, uh, y-yes! Of course! S-silly me, I forgot," Cammy stammered as she pocketed her ticket. "Thank you for bringing this to me. Did you, uh, bring what I asked for?"

George frowned and shrugged his shoulders.

"My dog never acted up, so I didn't have anything to give you. I looked around for some, but, well, nada. You know, I could-"

Sounds of someone rattling a chain were heard from the guest room. No doubt about it, Juri had awoken and was stirring about. The soft sound would have been ignored as something common, but more rattling was heard. If George was at his house and on the phone, Cammy would have another lie to tell, but since he was at her home, she could not effectively make excuses. The young tech expert trailed off as he trained his ears to listen in on whatever was making the noise. He could see the guilty and terrified expression on Cammy's face and answered it with a confused glance.

Someone had to be deaf, dumb, and blind to not think there was something amiss. Even though computers were his forte, George knew well enough that Cammy was hiding something. It couldn't be a new cat, as the woman was quick to tell her friends of anything new that was animal related. It couldn't be some kind of insidious and criminal gathering, as she never would get greedy or fall back on her morals. Could it be that Cammy had someone else in her apartment?

"Not to be nosy or anything, but are those your handcuffs making that noise?"

"Ye- Uh… well, you see…" Cammy played with her hands as she tried to come up with something. Perhaps it would be better to tell the truth, or at least lead into it. "You see… I-I may have… a guest."

"And they're chained to your bed?" George asked.

Cammy blushed and nodded. An eerie silence set between the two, broken only by the soft rattles of a chain in the distance. The woman mentally praised herself for trying to come clean, but she knew that there would most likely be hell to pay. Even if George was years younger than she was, if he found fault with her actions she would never hear the end of it. He would want to see what all the fuss was about, and everything would unravel. However, the techie did not move forward to see for himself. Instead, he crossed his arms and gave a sly smile.

"So that's why…"

"…That's why what?" Cammy asked, beside herself in anxiety.

"You called me last night to see if there was anything I could do for a 'little problem' of yours. You wanted to know if I have a shock collar, and next thing I know tomorrow morning, I hear that you've got someone chained up to your bed." Wagging his finger, George continued with, "I never knew you were the kinky type. If you want, I could try to find Lita's riding crop."

"W-what?!" Cammy shouted as her face turned red. "N-n-no! George, it's not like that! I'm not a dirty girl!"

"Sure you aren't," George shot back as he grinned.

"Grr… How do you know what I'm doing is what you're thinking? You're too young to know what that is!"

"Cammy, surfing the internet makes everyone older."

Cammy rubbed the back of her neck and tried to forget what she had just heard, but the complexity was too much for her to ignore. In trying to tell the truth, she was misunderstood. She knew what George was thinking of, and she did not like it. Juri Han would be able to breathe easier knowing that she was safe for a while longer. Cammy White, on the other hand, would have to live with George thinking she had a few eccentric vices. Before she even knew what she was doing, she grabbed the young lad and tossed him out of her apartment.

"Alright, thank you for the ticket again, now get out!"

"Ha ha ha! Alright Cammy, go easy on him alright?" George shouted as he ran down the hallway.

"Don't you dare tell Lita or anyone else about this!" Cammy screamed after him. "George? Do you hear me?! I know where you live!"

Sighing, Cammy closed her door and slammed her forehead against the wood. She feared that this would not be the last bit of embarrassment she would feel for some time. If George could hear the chain rattling from the front door, who was to say that the tenants would not get suspicious of all the ruckus soon to come? They would press and prod until they got the answer they needed. With that in mind, Juri needed to be moved to a place that was more secure as to prevent prying eyes and eavesdropping.

There were a few abandoned warehouses along the waterfront that could be used, but they were much too far away for Cammy's liking. Either she risked transporting Juri there and staying with her until her condition improved, or she risked having her stay in the comfort of her home within earshot of every tenant. A more permanent solution to the problem would be to simply kill Juri while she was constrained. It was chilling to know that a lot of problems could be solved with the loss of a life, but Cammy remained resolute.

Bound by honor and duty, she would not take Juri's life unless there was no other choice.

Cammy walked back to the guest room door and pulled the chair away from the bronze handle. She picked up her firearm from the seat cushion and placed it in her holster. There were no sounds of Juri moving furniture, so having her waiting at the door with an awkward kick posed was not an issue. The handcuffs that held her to the bedframe would not break unless someone gave it a herculean effort. Juri could have easily broken them or slipped into a more comfortable position had she not been tied to anything. In fact, her unnatural ki energy could have assisted her, but, like the eye, it seemed nonexistent.

Slowly, Cammy opened the door into a pitch-black room. As she crept inside, the sounds of a chain rattling stopped completely. Staring out of the darkness at the blond woman was a pair of bright violet eyes; their irises wide, round, and full of spite. When the interrogation was over for the night, Cammy shut the lights off in the room in an attempt to push Juri to sleep. There was another reason for the lights off: the operative had heard that depriving someone of light was a form of punishment. Seeing as the Korean had become more aggravated near the end of the interrogation, it was only fitting.

With the flick of the wrist, the room was bathed in light once again.

"What are y- Argh!" Juri winced at the bright light that flooded into her vision. "What is wrong with you? I thought it was bright already!"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Cammy shot back as she placed her hands on her hips. "Scratch that, what isn't wrong with you?"

"Oh! A rhetorical question! Aren't you something! I'm just sitting here in a crazy woman's room with my wrists attached to a bedpost while you're talking about me behind my back to a stupid worm you think might be considered a friend." Barring her fangs, Juri grunted, "And where's the 'good morning'? You're a terrible host!"

"Juri, do you mind keeping it down? All your complaining and shouting is as unnecessary as it is tedious."

"Bite me, pigtails. What the hell do you want from me now?" Juri growled. "Are we gonna move onto the more fun parts of interrogation today?"

There was no answer to Juri's question. Instead, Cammy found herself clenching her fists and steadily approaching her prisoner. She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that something was wrong with the situation. Currently, the Korean in front of her had been the subject of some kind of curse or terrible experiment, as her body had taken on a few feline features. Cat ears, cat eyes, cat claws, cat whiskers… Even the inborn hatred of water that cats possessed had managed to surface. Who was to say that more troubles would come for an already troubled woman?

Looking down at Juri, Cammy could see the woman's usual outfit in the light. She expressed a grunt of shock and frustration when she discovered that the black belt she had taken away from the start was wrapped around Juri's waist. Clothes didn't magically come back to their owners, nor did they repair themselves. The belt was destined to be a nuisance along with the purple gloves and spiked metal bracelets, seeing as they would persuade someone to fight and use them to their potential. To see it back in its original spot was not something Cammy took lightly.

"You little… How did you get your belt back?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"My belt?" Juri gave an amused tilt of her head. "Just what are you on now? You took my belt when you hauled me in."

"Then how do you explain this?"

Before Juri could even register what was happening, Cammy reached down and grabbed onto her belt. The oddest feeling fell upon her, as if the belt was literally an extension of herself. She could feel the Brit's hand clamp down around the belt and stay there, and for the first time in awhile, everything stopped. No threats. No shouts. No sudden movements. Instead, Juri stared up at Cammy with a blank expression. She could see her eyes widen just slightly and her lips purse in realization.

The belt was slowly dragged away from the waist it was wrapped around. Juri blinked twice and tensed up before she drummed up the courage to look down. Her breath hitched when she discovered that her rival had the end of a furry appendage in her hand. It was not a belt as Cammy had been too quick to label, but a piece of anatomy that shouldn't have been there. It should have come as no surprise to both of the women, but sure enough, they were both dumbfounded by the black tail.

Two different reactions followed the discovery. Cammy immediately dropped the tail and backed away while Juri remained still. Her right eye twitched as she stared down at it, but other than the brief spasm of emotion, her face was set in stone. Cammy, on the other hand, was smiling sheepishly and fidgeting about. In all her years as a Delta Red operative, the sight she had beheld was completely new to her. Shadaloo's experiments were one thing; this situation was something completely different. It would have been almost intriguing had it not been for the fact that the tail was attached to someone so hostile. As the foreign tail curled up at the tip, she found her voice.

"That… That's a…"

Juri ignored Cammy and watched as the tail flicked up only to flop back down to the ground. There was no denying that it was her tail. As an extension of her tailbone, she could feel it move and she could control it to some extent. It was an abomination, an indication of how far she had fallen to this curse. Its mere presence was an insult. She did not take kindly to insults. Given that, it was predictable that Juri would fly into a rage, and it would be directed towards the Englishwoman simply for being nearby.

Instead, the anger that was supposed to arise was absent. Cammy looked on as Juri's lower lip quivered for a brief moment before the woman closed her eyes and heaved her shoulders. A few sad, dry chuckles escaped her throat. It seemed that looking at the tail had filled Juri with a feeling she usually hated to experience: fear. She could fight on fear and anger, but this time there was hardly anything for her to lash out against. Her body had changed for the worse, and she was terrified of that. Anyone would be, given the situation, but Cammy was nonetheless surprised when she noticed Juri was.

"Uh… W-well… this is something, huh?" Cammy rubbed the back of her neck as she tried to figure out what to add. "So… a tail, huh? Well… if there's a bright side to this, it's not your belt…"

"Get out."

Cammy blinked and looked at Juri.

"C-come again?"

"Get out!" Juri screamed as she turned her head to glare at Cammy. "I said get out!"

The sheer ferocity and desperation in Juri's voice was enough to make Cammy flinch back, but not enough to shatter her resolve.

"No. I will not get out," she replied calmly. "This is my apartment, and I'm not about to let you out of my sight until we're someplace away from the rest of civilized society. God knows it could do without you."

"I've just been turned into a freaking catwoman! How long before I sprout fur and start speaking in third-person? And would it kill you to feel sorry for me?" Juri's eyes glistened slightly as she sniveled. "I know you hate my guts… but can you at least care?"

Cammy stared at Juri for a few seconds before turning away. She could hear the snivels of her enemy as she thought about the situation. Sympathy and compassion were dangerous when they were given to dangerous people. They would be given the benefit of the doubt just before abusing it and taking the upper hand. Juri's predicament was a crying shame and was unfortunate for both women, but Cammy would be damned if she offered her sympathies to her.

She thought of how she had the woman chained up in an uncomfortable position and slowly drifted to another thought. What if she was in Juri's position? Granted, the cat lover would take to being turned into a cat much lighter than Juri would, but she would be completely at her mercy. The Korean would do plenty of unspeakable things to her before disposing of her or worse, attempting to forcefully drag the Brit over to her way of thinking. However, and it pained her to think this, she did not know what Juri would do. It was not her place to make rash assumptions.

"I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm sore from growing a… a…" Juri's voice trailed off as she stared at her tail. She swallowed hard and looked back at Cammy. "And to top it all off, I really, really need to use a bathroom… Come on… What would the officer do?"

"Chun-Li?" Cammy asked as she turned back to Juri. "…She would try to be reasonable with you, I know that."

"And a little sympathetic too."

"Yes, and that." Juri slowly rattled the chain that connected her wrists as Cammy sighed. "I have to move you. I can't have you making noise-"

"Then let me use the bathroom."

"You really need to relieve yourself?"

Juri nodded slowly and gingerly moved her legs a little. It was bothersome to see every little change and catlike feature that she inherited, and Cammy could not deny that. She could not also deny that her behavior towards her enemy had been cold and disrespectful. To give respect to a woman who, under normal circumstances, would be given anything but respect was another dangerous thing to do. However, Cammy found herself torn between right and wrong, and she knew that helping Juri was the morally right thing to do in this situation. In the end, it was pity that was the deciding factor.

But by pitying Juri, Cammy was knowingly putting a pinch of trust into her.

"Grr… Fine. Wait here a moment," Cammy grumbled as she turned away.

"Take your time, it's not like I'm going anywhere," Juri glumly muttered.

Pity was another dangerous concept, but Cammy did not have that in mind as she exited the room. Of course she was a morally just person and always strived to do what was right, but doing right did not always mean being right. Sometimes she had to do wrong for the common good, sometimes she had to choose between two hard choices, and sometimes she had to take a life. Chun-Li had to deal with these problems regularly, but she never for one second discarded her sense of justice for a quick solution. If the Interpol officer could make the extra sacrifice and do what was right, so could Cammy… But it still pained her to do right by Juri.

The Delta Red operative dashed into the bathroom and gave it a quick inspection. Sure enough, Juri would create more of a scene if Cammy was present while she relieved herself, so the room needed to be cleared of any items that could be used against the captor. A bottle of sleeping pills was taken out along with anything similar, the toothbrushes were taken away, the scissors definitely couldn't stay… After a few minutes, the only things that were left in the bathroom were the things that were nailed down: the sink, mirror, medicine cabinet, toilet, clothes hamper and shower. When it came to an unpredictable woman, there was no such thing as making too many precautions.

"I've got a whole new opinion of prison guards now," Cammy mumbled as she drifted back to the guest room. She opened the door and glared at Juri as she approached her. "I had better not be duped…"

"I'm not going to lie to you," Juri started as she shook her head, "I really am sore, hungry, and in need of a toilet."

Cammy produced a silver key from her pocket and crouched down near the handcuffs that held Juri to the bedpost.

"If I let you loose, are you going to attack me?"

"Only if you spray me with that bottle," Juri said softly as she stared at the key.

"If I let you into that bathroom, are you going to come back out when you're done?"

"Y-yeah. Come on, you're treating me like I'm five years old..."

"Better that than treating you as if you don't know any better," Cammy replied as she stuck the key in the lock and turned it. "I'm doing this out of the kindness in my heart, Juri. Don't forget that."

The pair of handcuffs shook as the tumblers clicked into place. They creaked open and slipped off of Juri's wrists to hang limply around the bedpost. Immediately she brought her arms forward and rubbed her wrists. Her tail twitched in anticipation as she turned to push herself up. Despite the uncommon weight tugging at her back and the stiffness of her limbs, Juri managed to stand up with the aid of the bedframe close by.

Before anything else happened, Cammy grabbed onto Juri's wrists and pressed them behind her back. She ignored the startled gasp she received. The woman was still dangerous even if she was demoralized and uncomfortable. In fact, if she was loose and hungry while she was in her current state, she was even more dangerous. When a predator was hungry, anything was fair game, or they would do anything to sate their need.

Cammy tightened her grip and ushered Juri forward. She saw her stumble as she took her first steps, a clear indication that she was not used to her new tail. Cats used them for balance, and until Juri learned how to deal with it, she would continue to stumble about. With any luck, she won't have the time or opportunities to practice. The black tail brushed against Cammy's legs as she moved, and it was anything but comfortable. Even if it was a new addition, Juri could feel it, if her shuddering when it touched something was any indication.

The two women trudged out of the guest room and down the hall of Cammy's apartment. So far, the only activity from Juri were the occasional snivels and shudders, as it seemed that she still was trying to come to terms with her new tail. Fear still had her in its grip, but Cammy could tell that she was slinking out of it. It wouldn't be too long before she regained her moxie and returned to her usual attitude. With a few more steps, Juri was nudged into the bathroom.

"You have three minutes," Cammy stated.

Juri turned around to attempt to voice a complaint, but Cammy shut the bathroom door behind her. If she had lingered, an attack would have surely come. Perhaps the door would rattle as Juri pounded against it, but what was surprising was that there was no hostility. Instead, the only sounds Cammy could hear were Juri's grumbles and the soft rustles of clothing.

"While we're here, I have a few questions for you."

"Fu- Alright, alright…" Juri groaned from behind the door.

"You came to London by yourself, correct? Did you bring any backup?" As she leaned against the door, Cammy raised her voice. "Are there others lying in wait?"

"I worked alone. I just… I had to." The sounds of Juri's activity permeated from beyond the door once again. "You know what you said about scientists having a field day with me if you turned me in? Well, Seth's a bit of a scientist himself. Can you imagine getting cat ears and having a bald, naked guy leer at you like a pervert?"

"So you ran from wherever you came from because they wanted to examine you," Cammy said.

"Yeah." There was a bit of awkward shuffling before Juri said, "Hey, you got your- Uh… Nevermind."

Cammy raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Juri mumbled.

Something about the way the Korean said that made it seem that something was up. Suspicion tugged at Cammy's nerves and tried to persuade her to act, but what was there to be worked up about? Well, besides the fact that a dangerous woman was free of her restraints. Most if not all items had been removed from the bathroom, so unless Cammy had left her firearm lying in the shower stall, there was nothing further to worry about. Nothing other than the slight change in Juri's tone of voice, but that was benign.

"Oh… kay…" Cammy rubbed her shoulders and asked, "Why aren't you using your eye? Are you just toying with me?"

"…It doesn't work."

"What are you saying?"

"What do you mean what am I saying? I'm saying the damn thing doesn't work!" Juri growled. "No data, no ki, no nothing. The only thing I get when I try is this… stupid black and white vision! Piece of junk only lets me see in the dark just a little better."

"Night vision huh? I have another question for you, Juri. What are S.I.N.'s pl-"

"For the love of god, do you ever stop talking?" Juri shouted over the sound of the toilet flushing. "My name is Juri Han, I'm twenty-five years-old, my natural hair color is black, I like long strolls on the beach, and I'm a Capricorn. And that's all you're getting!"

Cammy scowled and pushed herself off of the door.

"Excuse me?"

"You surprised me, kitten," Juri said calmly. "I enjoy a little rough treatment every now and then, but you crossed the line. I had hoped it wouldn't be necessary to put on the whole sad sack routine, but you weren't going to stop being a colossal pain in the ass anytime soon. I've only done that routine about… three times, and I hate doing it. I'm happy to see that Bison gave you a heart, as I can't imagine what you'd do if I actually cried, not that I ever would do such a thing." With a small chuckle, Juri added, "The China doll would have completely dropped her guard if I did, though!"

The tone of voice Juri had used had switched from irritated to downtrodden to smug in a matter of minutes. Her watery eyes were crocodile tears, and her pitiful expressions were just a ruse. The woman had put on a show, and Cammy fell for it. The Brit reached for the door handle and gave it a twist. Resistance greeted her action, for the door was locked and would not budge. A quick bout of laughter came from the bathroom.

"I can't believe you fell for it! Am I good actor or what? So I grew a tail, what of it? You looked as if I wasn't expecting it! If I got the cat eyes and cat ears, logically I would grow a tail!"

"Juri! You dirty liar, I put the tiniest bit of trust into you and you abuse it!" Cammy shouted.

"I'd be stupid to not jump on the opportunity. I can't believe you fell for my act though! I thought you were a challenge, but you proved me wrong. You just love to disappoint people, don't you?"

"This is the last time I pity a criminal…"

Cammy jiggled the handle again before she slammed her head against the door in disgust.

"Oh don't be that way! I like it when you're confident and full of hope! It makes every defeat at my hands that much sweeter."

"You do realize you trapped yourself in my bathroom," Cammy pointed out.

"Yeah, so it wasn't one of my better plans, but at least I can use my hands again! Speaking of which…" Soft rustles were heard from the other side before Juri commented, "Yup, they're still there. No fur either! What a relief!"

"Aren't you going to come out and fight me? Get revenge for my 'wrongdoing'?"

"Later, kitten! Jeez, you're so impatient. I think I'll just sit here and make a few demands."

"Demands?" Cammy scoffed. "You're in no position to make demands."

"Or am I?"

A soft and familiar sound reached Cammy's ears just before she heard Juri's comeback. It was muffled coming from behind the door, but she could hear it clearly. Her face blanched when she realized that she had not thoroughly checked the bathroom as she had originally though. Now, Juri had an upper hand, and she was prepared to exploit it to its fullest potential. Cammy gritted her teeth and rattled the door again to no avail.

"You've got a really pretty kitty here, kitten," Juri cooed. "I like it, but it doesn't seem to like me."

"Meow…"

"Daisy? No! Juri, don't you dare touch her!"

In the brief moment that Cammy had left the bathroom door open after walking out to retrieve Juri, Daisy the cat had darted in. It shouldn't have been surprising due to the curious nature of cats, but it was too inconvenient for the current situation. Cammy's eyes widened when she realized what had drawn the cat in. There was a litterbox nudged in between the clothes hamper and shower stall, and since she believed that Juri couldn't possibly try to kill her with ammonic cat litter, she left it be. She did not know what reasoning her cat had to use the litterbox at such a terrible time, and Cammy was certain she would never find out.

Regardless, the cat was now in the same room with someone who wanted to harm its owner.

"It's a girl? Aww, so cute! She can help me find new bracelets! I've toyed with the idea of wearing a bit of fur, but thanks to you, I can finally act!" Juri giggled over the sound of Daisy hissing. "Here kitty kitty kitty…"

"Juri! Stop! Please!" Cammy pleaded. "What do you want? I can get you it, just as long as it's reasonable! Just please, don't hurt Daisy!"

A bead of sweat trickled down Cammy's forehead as she strained her ears to listen into the bathroom. She cared deeply for her friends and her comrades, but cats had a special place in her heart. Daisy especially was a gift wrapped in cream fur. The feline had been with Cammy since she was a kitten, and her owner had her since she was first drummed into Delta Red. While there may be many cats like her, Daisy was irreplaceable to the blond-haired cat lover.

"Relax kitten, I'm not going to kill your cat," Juri said in a shockingly sincere tone of voice. Before Cammy could breathe a sigh of relief, Juri continued with: "However, I am feeling rather… ravenous."

"Meow?!"

"You're hungry? Ok! Ok I can understand that! What do you want?"

"Hmm… Do you have a menu?" There was a bit of silence before Juri laughed loudly. "Oh wait, I forgot you don't have class! Silly me! I think I'll have a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit."

"S-sausage, egg and cheese biscuit?" Cammy repeated as she shook her head. "I don't think I have sausage in my refrigerator..."

"You said you'd get me anything," Juri growled as a reminder.

Delta Red, like many other law enforcement agencies, prided itself in not negotiating with terrorists. For the talented few in England, there was no need to compromise, only the need to delay. They would find loopholes or other alternatives to problems, even if they were hostage situations. People would be saved, but the terrorist who had them under his or her watch would not be humored with promises of money or safe passage. It was the same with every terrorist, and it ended the same every time.

But this was a different hostage situation. While a feline's life could not compare to a human's in worth- depending on a person's point of view-, Daisy was precious, and her life couldn't be gambled. To assure her safety, Cammy would have to give into Juri's demands, and only then she would get her pet back. That was if the Korean decided to let the cat go. With that dreadful thought in mind, Cammy began to think about the alternatives and possible precau-

"Om nom nom nom-"

"Oh crumbs! O-one sausage egg and cheese biscuit coming right up!" Cammy shouted before she turned on her heels and ran off.

* * *

Juri's new tail twitched in displeasure as she stared at her biscuit on the bathroom floor.

"No orange juice? No napkins?" She tilted her head to speak towards the door behind her. "No toy?"

"Be grateful you got something to eat. I hope you choke on it," Cammy muttered before she pounded on the door for emphasis.

It surprised and both warmed Juri to know that Cammy had dashed to a fast-food restaurant just to get her order. So thoughtful… the kitten was learning! Juri picked up her biscuit and checked the disk of egg that was sandwiched between cheese and sausage for any oddities. She had a feeling that there would be cyanide or some kind of poison mixed in there, but unless Cammy had cooked it herself, there would be no time to spike the food. A quick bite confirmed that the biscuit was safe and quite tasty too. Perhaps a little unhealthy as all fast-food products were, but tasty nonetheless.

"I suppose I should thank you. Now, on to my next demand."

"What about my cat? If I do these things for you, will you let her go?" Cammy asked.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. That all depends on you." Juri scratched her chin for a moment before she leaned against the bathroom door. "Now, listen carefully because I'm not going to repeat myself. You're going to find me a cure for this stupid curse."

"A cure? How the hell do you expect me to find that?"

Juri groaned and shook her head at Cammy's ignorance.

"We live in the twenty-first century! Use the internet! Gee, I feel sorry for the China doll now…"

She could hear Cammy growl in irritation before storming off. The original plan was to regain use of her hands and find a weapon in case hand to hand combat failed her, but Juri had stumbled on a fantastic opportunity. Her rival's cat had picked a terrible time to use the litterbox. If Cammy had exploited and cheated to get an upper hand against her, Juri would do the same in retaliation. Taking the cat as a 'hostage' wasn't entirely in good taste, and while she did feel a tinge of guilt at doing it, she wasn't about to pass up a trump card.

As she took another bite out of her biscuit, she looked up and over to the opposite side of the bathroom. The cream-colored cat, Daisy, had backed herself into a corner. Her tail twitched dangerously and her back was arched in a threatening display of self-defense. Juri never had a cat nor interacted with them very much, but she knew that the creature was terrified of her and was trying to look larger than it really was. Defensive intimidation was the goal, but Juri had seen it before plenty of times.

Daisy hissed at the woman when she looked directly at her.

"Easy there girl," Juri whispered. "Holding you in here is just business. It's nothing personal."

There was no response other than a low growl. Juri stared for a minute before she looked down at her almost-finished biscuit. She broke off a small but generous piece of sausage and held it out to the cat with a smile. Daisy did not move from her spot. Instead, the simple act of being offered food from a foreigner made her almost statuesque. The only movement came from her blue eyes as they went from being fixed on Juri to being fixed on the food between her fingers.

"Hungry kitty?" Juri asked as she slowly inched forward. "Here, you can have this."

The woman placed the bit of sausage on the white-tiled floor of the bathroom before scooting back. Daisy put one paw in front of the other and slowly advanced towards the bit of food, all the while growling and staring at Juri. She sat on her haunches and grabbed at the sausage with her teeth before dragging it back into the corner she came from. Juri grinned and licked her lips as the cat began to eat.

"See? I'm not all that bad. Your owner and I just don't see eye to eye on… just about everything."

"…Mroaw…"

A knocking came at the door and brought Juri's attention back to the task at hand.

"Alright, you miserable wretch, I may have found something," Cammy muttered from the other side of the door.

"Name-calling won't get you many points with me, but I'll give you credit for trying," Juri said with a giggle. "And what did you find that can cure me? Some kind of witch's brew? A dark and bloody ritual? Aspirin?"

"No, I found someone who might be able to help. They're a fortune teller of sorts and they have a shop down near Piccadilly Circus."

Juri beamed and stood up.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Did you say 'we'? We're not going anywhere!" Cammy growled. "I'm going to call them over so they can have a look at you!"

"So, you'd rather have some old fart come over and asses me in the late morning so I can scream and shout for all to hear?" Juri scoffed, "That's smart. If we go down to this guy's shop, you won't get that trouble from me. Only the losers with no life are up this early, so what's there to worry about?"

"I'm not taking you anywhere."

"Need I remind you that I still have your cat?"

A deadly silence passed for a moment before Cammy muttered:

"…Fine. I'll take you with me."

"Good, now get me my cloak and belt. I promise I'll let the little furball go."

Cammy stormed off again only to come back a few seconds later.

"I have your things, now let Daisy go."

"Sure thing, kitten."

Juri spared a look at Daisy in her corner before she grabbed onto the door handle. With a twist and a turn, she unlocked the door from her side. She pulled the handle back and reached up to her face to grab Cammy's fist just before it slammed against her face. The fist was gently lowered down to chest level to reveal Juri's toothy and condescending grin. She knew how much Cammy hated it, but perhaps after a little time together, she would get used to it. Hopefully she wouldn't.

"Isn't it wonderful to know that people can work together in harmony?" Juri asked rhetorically.

Before Cammy could growl or try to attack again, Daisy darted between both of the women's legs like a bat out of hell. The cream-colored cat zoomed behind a chair in the living room and stayed there. Cammy's expression changed from anger to relief at knowing that her pet was safe, and then it changed back to anger when she looked back at her enemy. She pulled her fist out from Juri's hold and reached forward to grab her, but the Korean smacked the hand away with a playful giggle.

"I can walk on my own, thank you very much," Juri said as she brushed past. "You gonna stew for a while, or are we gonna go to that guy's shop?"

A whole slew of terrible, vengeful ideas surfaced in Cammy's mind as she watched Juri walk away. None of them would work now that the woman was free. Not even spraying her with water would work, as she would just turn around and swipe with her claws. Instead, the best thing to do was to keep an eye on the woman and keep her placated just long enough until the two got to the shop. Cammy would be playing at a severe disadvantage, but if it meant a cure for her enemy's condition, then so be it.

She reluctantly gathered up a jacket and her purse before walking out the front door, all the while ignoring the toothy grin that followed her.


	5. Teller of Misfortunes

**Disclaimer: **Street Fighter belongs to CAPCOM.

* * *

"What the- Hey! Where did you get those?!" Cammy asked through gritted teeth.

Juri turned around and cocked a smirk as she gingerly tapped a now sandal-covered foot against the floorboards.

"Oh these? I found them right next to the door. I'm beginning to think you put them there just for me!" She placed a hand over her heart and sighed. "Suffocation, handcuffs, starvation, and now sandals? I'm so touched by your generosity…"

"Shut up. They're not yours to wear."

"I know that, kitten. I'm just-"

"Stealing them?" Cammy spat.

"Not stealing, just borrowing without asking. Besides, did it never occur to you that the old fart in his shop would have a no shoes, no shirt, no business policy?"

Cammy thought for a quick moment before furrowing her brow.

"No, but you wouldn't care if he did, would you?"

"Nope," Juri affirmed. "Not one bit."

It didn't take long for the conniving Korean to come up with a small plan to escape her predicament. After sporting many catlike features and having her 'captor' interrogate her, she was anxious to get out. The problem she faced after finding a slice of freedom was that she had no idea where to go or who to turn to. Fortunately, she worked as she went. She persuaded Cammy to assist her in finding someone who could cure her condition after she practically took her cat hostage. It was not in the best of tastes, but it was the best leverage Juri could find.

She glanced at Cammy's backside as the woman shut her apartment door behind her. The understanding that she could just run free or kill the woman right now was easily grasped, and Juri herself contemplated carrying out the latter. However, while killing Cammy would have been the easiest and most efficient solution, therefore becoming the best solution, it would not be very satisfying. A good fight was not remembered for how quick it ended, but for how long it lasted and how hard the participants fought.

If Cammy died right there and then, a vast amount of potential and opportunity would be wasted. She could be annoyed, angered, and cut down with a simple snide comment. She could be a challenge at one time and an unsuspecting mark at another. The woman was interesting, and she deserved to be explored by someone who could push all the wrong buttons. Juri decided that letting her live would potentially put herself at the end of her pointed sword, but if she played her cards right, she would be able to have the grandest time of her life by making Cammy's life very interesting.

At least until she figured out how to cure herself.

"I can see you have another gun in your tight pants," Juri said with a lewd smile.

Cammy glared over her shoulder before she locked her door.

"I should have you handcuffed again, or maybe knocked out and wrapped up in a rug," she muttered as she turned around. "Who's to say you won't just cut and run when we get outside?"

"Hey, I told you I wanted to go to this old guy's shop," Juri replied as she placed her hands on her hips. "I also said that I wouldn't scream and shout if you took me, and I know how much you want me all to yourself, you frisky kitten."

"Poppycock, I just want you looking human again so I can lug you into a tiny little cell." Cammy pointed at Juri's furry ears. "Speaking of looking human, pull your hood up. I don't want people to see you as a wingnut."

Juri sneered but did as Cammy ordered.

"You know this is only going to make me stand out in a crowd, right?"

"So, you're saying that your usual revealing attire and your whackjob hair don't make you stand out, but a cloak will?" Cammy nodded sarcastically. "Good to know, good to know…"

"At least I don't wear a leotard," Juri shot back.

"And just what is wrong with my leotard?"

"Absolutely nothing," Juri cooed. "It's very… inviting."

Cammy shook her head and brushed past her rival. She couldn't afford to waste her time bickering with someone she was supposed to apprehend, especially in a public place like an apartment complex. People would stir at the noise and eventually get up, and then everything would unravel. No-one needed that much crazy in their life, especially in the morning. They had Cammy's sympathies in case that happened. Hopefully, they wouldn't get up and open their doors, and if they did, the two women would be long gone by then.

The mutterings of a deranged catwoman reached Cammy's ears. She glanced over her shoulder and was relieved to see Juri was following her, but it seemed that she was having trouble doing so, if her walking close to the walls for support was any indication. Her black cloak was open in the front to allow her to wrestle with her black belt around her waist. While looping the belt through the notches on her chaps, Juri shuddered and winced in disgust. No doubt about it, she had unintentionally touched her black tail. It was a new addition, and Cammy could tell that she was still struggling with it.

It wasn't until the woman stumbled down the numerous flights of stairs did Cammy raise an eyebrow at her plight. In all honesty, the woman could hardly care about how well she was coming along. She fed her and allowed her to relieve herself, but she had been duped and sent on a guilt trip, respectively. Any other situation and she would turn a blind eye, but this one was different. She would be taking Juri outside, and that meant she would be in public view. Forget the cloak; a stumbling, muttering Korean following an almost normal Englishwoman was a sight as rare as Hailey's Comet. Someone would take notice.

"You look as pissed as a newt," Cammy mumbled as she stopped for Juri to catch up.

"I am pissed!" she grumbled.

"No, I meant you look like a drunkard." The Englishwoman examined the front of Juri's outfit before the woman closed it off in disgust. "What did you do to your tail? I don't see it dangling."

"I'm not going to have that thing dangling between my legs like some freaking mutation! I wrapped my belt around the damn thing."

"It's not going to dangle between your legs; it's just going to be behind you. If you keep it up against your belt, you're going to lose your balance."

"What the hell do you know about people growing tails?" Juri shot back. "You think if I let it dangle, I'm going to move better?"

Cammy sighed.

"That's precisely what I think. Cats use their tails for balance, and if you let it loose, you won't stumble around. It should work for you, in theory."

"Fine. Whatever. This cloak's long enough to hide it anyway."

Of course it was just a theory. Felines were powerful, graceful creatures that had a variety of helpful features. Their claws gave them an edge and good grip, their fur kept them warm and presentable, their eyes were conditioned to be very sharp, and their tails helped them maneuver about. This was especially important when it came to the bigger cats, such as cheetahs and leopards. They were magnificent. Juri was… less so, but if she got a grip on her tail, she could make a few strides forward while not looking like she lost an argument with a ram.

Fortunately, Juri reorganized her tail and dropped it behind her. The furry appendage was slightly sore, but oddly enough, it felt almost weightless and anything but cumbersome. She stepped away from the walls and dusted off her cloak with a small 'hmph' of annoyance. The fact that her tail wasn't getting in her way did nothing to make it familiar. She wanted it gone along with everything else.

It didn't take too long before the two women left the apartment block and stepped out into the cold air of a typical London morning. A light fog was in the distance. Streetlights that remained on shined through the moisture and painted the street in an almost sickly shade of yellow and grey. If it wasn't for the red-brick buildings surrounded by tactful homeowners' flowers, the area would be absolutely dreadful. Juri tore her attention away from her tail, which was now expertly hidden underneath her cloak, to stare out into the morning void.

"Geez, you live here?" she asked. "Place looks like a dump."

"It's just the fog and overlay," Cammy muttered as she tugged on her jacket.

"Not to mention all the pollution. But don't let that bother you; I sure do love all the grey and boring architecture."

"You irritate me endlessly, threaten my cat, and now you're taking the piss out of where I live…"

Unbeknownst to Juri, the area was actually very attractive when the morning fog lifted and the sun shone brightly. The stone walls gave off a feel of walking amongst history while the modern lights and activities represented progress and change. The streets were paved perfectly without any nicks or holes. Small trees flanked the roads with a beautiful vengeance, especially in fall and winter where they would spark with color before dropping their leaves, leaving perfect platforms for Christmas lights.

As Cammy walked along the sidewalk, she glanced behind herself and mentally groaned when she saw Juri open her mouth again.

"Indirectly."

"Indirectly what?"

"I indirectly threatened your cat."

"Doesn't matter! You threatened my cat!" Cammy jabbed a finger in Juri's direction and scowled. "I expected you to threaten me, but Daisy? That's just… evil!"

Juri rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, it's just a cat. I wasn't going to hurt it at all, so what's the big deal?" With a sneer, Juri brushed past her rival. "What's wrong? Are you mad about this?"

"…No, I'm not mad about it," Cammy muttered. "I'm just disappointed."

The utterance of that word made Juri falter. She had expected her rival to get angry or annoyed, but not disappointed. People only became disappointed when their expectations were not met, and in Cammy's case, she expected more from Juri but was ultimately let down. The woman could hardly care less what people thought or expected of her, but it didn't take away the weight of the situation. Perhaps it was the fact that her most despised rival was disappointed in her that bugged her.

She turned around and stared at the Englishwoman behind her. Her gaze was locked on her, but instead of the usual irritation and anger, there was exasperation. It was pathetic to see, but at the same time, it was infuriating. Juri had seen that look before many times in her life. It was the look of a person who thought that she just did not know any better. She did know better, and she understood what was right and what was wrong. She just lived by a different set of morals, same as anyone else in the world, although hers were questionable.

Before she could snap at her, Cammy narrowed her eyes and growled:

"I want you to apologize."

Juri blinked and remained silent for a few seconds before breaking out in a fit of giggles.

"Apologize? For threatening your cat? That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!" Juri's tone soon became considerably darker. "I'm not going to apologize for doing what had to be done."

"You didn't have to do that!" Cammy hissed.

"No, I guess I didn't. You didn't have to tie me up and starve me either, but you did. I'd say we're even."

"We are not even."

A few cars trudged through the streets. They would have been ignored had it not been for the sounds they made, which easily filled the void after Cammy's cool statement. The two women glared at each other, one through clear blue eyes and the other through animalistic violet pools. Many of the things that they had done to each other were excusable, as was just about any action when under pressure, but both of them had their grievances to bring up. One of them had gone too far with the treatment of the other.

It didn't take too long before Juri shook her head and took a step back. Cammy could see the small protrusions on her hood recede, a tell-tale sign of drooping ears. Juri glumly slouched, frowned, and sighed.

"Ugh… Alright, alright, I guess I shou-" Suddenly, the ears underneath her hood sprang back up along with her as she stared off into the distance. "Woah! Look at that thing!"

"Bwha?" Cammy exclaimed before she followed Juri's gaze. "What? What thi-"

As soon as Cammy turned her head, Juri lashed out with a kick to her uncovered shins. The woman practically jumped two whole feet into the air with a yelp of pain. She landed on one foot with her injured shin cradled in her hands. Juri laughed at the sight, and when Cammy turned to glare daggers at her, she only laughed harder. Instead of a snarl of rage, on her face was a pained and irritated pout. That was nothing compared to how wide the woman's eyes were.

"There we go, now we're even," Juri said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "You should have seen the look on your face!"

"You think this is funny?!"

"No, I think it's tragic and terribly sad, that's why I'm laughing," Juri said sarcastically. "Of course it's funny. Why? You got a problem?"

"Yeah, my problem is that I can't punch your face in while out in public," Cammy muttered as she set her foot down. "Don't do that again."

"What was that? Do that again? Alright, if you say so…"

Cammy jumped back in anticipation of another strike, but it didn't come. Instead, Juri performed a simple feint and grinned as she got the reaction she wanted. She laughed once more before her rival mustered up the courage to keep moving. There was only so much insanity Cammy could take. Juri was a very cunning and resourceful woman, and she knew that her very presence got on her rival's nerves, especially when they weren't fighting. She had many plans and ideas to put into action, and unfortunately for Cammy, there would be plenty of them to come.

It certainly didn't help much when Cammy instigated the next one.

"God, your voice is annoying," she mumbled under her breath as she turned a corner.

"I heard that!" Juri grumbled. She dashed in front of Cammy and backpedaled. "What's wrong with my voice?"

"Before all of this, it was rough and foreign." Cammy could see Juri's face light up as if she was flattered by such an insult. It fell completely when she continued with a small smirk. "Now, it's just so… annoying. So grating and tiring, and it doesn't help at all when it sounds as if you inhaled helium."

Juri narrowed her eyes and silently plotted as Cammy brushed past her on the sidewalk. She was aware of many changes to her body, but that just made her bitter on the subject. If her voice had changed- and it did; just slightly high pitched-, she had no idea. A person does not notice their voice change overnight as much as they do their height. Given that, Juri wasn't about to let her enemy get off with something over her.

She sneered and barked:

"Hey! You wanna hear something even more annoying?"

"Juri, don't you dare…"

It was almost impossible to squash a person's determination, which Cammy soon figured out when she turned around and saw Juri standing close to a car parked on the side of the street. The woman reached forward and slapped the car's backside like an unruly steed, only instead of a startled whinny, the car sparked to life. Almost instantly, the anti-theft alarm began to blare as the lights on the car flicked on and off. Juri stepped back to admire her work while Cammy cringed. She staved off the voice in the back of her mind that claimed she deserved this.

The car directly in front of the squealing one began to blare as well, as did the car behind it and the car behind that one. Eventually, the entire street became host to a choir of screeching automobiles. A few dogs began to bark in the distance while irritated commuters shouted out. Cammy yelled at Juri, but the alarms were too loud and great in number. Absolutely nothing could be heard expect for those alarms. It was downright unpleasant, and even Juri was bothered. She covered her ears with her hands and glanced at Cammy.

After exchanging death glares, the two women turned on their heels and sped off. Anywhere was better than being in that block with the screaming cars. They brushed past a few joggers and onlookers on their way. To anyone who may have been looking, they looked like two hooligans fleeing from the scene of the crime. At least one of them looked the part with her hooded cloak and low posture, as if she was prepared to fight or fly at the drop of the hat. The pedestrians figured that the two enjoyed their little prank on society, but they never would have guessed that they actually hated each other to no end.

Cammy especially was seething. She turned another corner and struggled to unclench her fists. Lugging around a wanted criminal was one thing. Being free, insufferable, and a bother to society is another thing altogether. She began to think that this was Juri's way of getting revenge. She would attack her sanity by becoming a nuisance or by turning the entire city against her. Already the woman was taking her newfound freedom for granted, and she was continuing to push her luck.

All Cammy wanted was to get to the teller's shop, find a cure, and then put the woman in the tiniest, darkest cell imaginable.

"Keep calm and carry on," she murmured softly. She could feel the tension slowly leave her body as she kept repeating the old British saying. "Keep calm and carry on. Keep calm and carry on…"

"Heeeeeey!" Juri drawled out as she caught up with Cammy. "Wasn't that amazing? I bet I woke up the entire neighborhood!"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Cammy shouted. "What's the matter with you? Are you trying to get yourself nicked?"

"Nicked?"

"Nick- Caught, I mean," Cammy corrected.

"Kitten, if I wanted to get caught, I wouldn't have to try. You said my voice was annoying, so I wanted to show you something that was even more so. Besides, do you even listen to yourself talk?" Juri slouched forward and put on a dopey expression. "Hallo mate, how ya doin' taday? Ya havin' a bloody good toime?" She quickly straightened up and threw her hands up. "That's you! That's how annoying _you_ sound!"

"I don't sound like that!" Cammy snapped. "That's Australians!"

"Whatever, you all sound the… same… to…"

Juri's voice trailed off as she slowly came to a stop. Her eyes widened and became focused on something off in the distance, but Cammy was not convinced. She reached down to her pistol holster and opened it to reveal her sidearm. Deception worked on her before, but the same trick would not work again. Just as her fingers brushed against the grip of her weapon, she heard a familiar sound. Reluctantly, she turned her head to follow Juri's gaze.

What she saw made her smile like a child. Across the street was a stocky-looking cat with jet black fur and a red collar around its neck. Attached to the collar was a small silver bell that jingled whenever it was rustled. The cat looked from right to left to check for traffic before crossing the street. As it reached the other side, it stopped in front of the two women and fixed them with a lively amber gaze. Beaming now, Cammy crouched down and offered her hand to the creature.

The cat stared at the woman before opening its maw wide for a big yawn. It stretched for a brief moment before it approached her and promptly rammed its head into the palm of her hand. Cammy gave it a few strokes and scratches behind the ears until the cat figured it had had enough. With a soft meow of delight, it took off down an alley to the right of the women. Cammy rose and chuckled before she remembered she had a criminal by her side. Immediately she stiffened up and turned to face Juri, who looked as if she had just seen a ghost.

"What's wrong with you now?" Cammy groaned.

"That was a black cat… and it just crossed our path. Doesn't that set off any alarms?"

"…No. Should it?"

"Uh, yeah!" Juri replied. "That's bad luck! And you touched it too! That makes it worse!"

"Huh, I never would have figured you to be a superstitious sort."

"I'm not, but what are the odds of a black cat crossing our path at…" Juri glanced up at the morning sun for a moment. "…whatever time it is here in the morning at this exact spot? I'll break mirrors and walk under ladders when I damn well feel like it, but this is just eerie."

"In your words, it's just a cat," Cammy replied with a shake of her head. "Besides, if it makes you feel any better- not that I care by the way-, having a black cat cross your path in England is _good_ luck, especially when they cross left to right."

Hearing that blew Juri away.

"For the love of- Is everything in England weird? First you people drive on the left side of the road, now this?" She huffed and crossed her arms. "Next thing you're going to tell me is that a white cat is bad luck... Oh, whatever." In a bored tone, she asked, "How long have we been walking? How much further do we have to go?"

"Actually, Juri," Cammy said with a small smile, "we're already here."

The two stopped in mid-step and turned to look at a row of small stone-brick buildings that served as stores and gift shops. Glancing behind them, they could see a large plaza filled with stalls, benches, exotic fountains, and the occasional worker too preoccupied with their duties to notice them. Given the signs, it was obvious that this was the famous Piccadilly Circus, or at least part of it. Cammy slowly walked forward and examined the storefronts, focused solely on finding the one fortune teller's shop. Not even the grumblings of her now-catlike rival could distract her now.

Three buildings caught her eye more than the others. One was a shop that sold toys, clothing, and a plethora of memorabilia. It was closed at the moment, but the brightly colored exterior and welcoming entrance was impossible to miss, just like its extensive collection of novelty hats in one of the windows. The second building was quite large, but quite plain in appearance. The signs of baked goods and the ever-pleasant aroma of pastries screamed 'bakery'. The building was closed just as well as the first, although the smell of food hinted that the workers were just gearing up to open soon.

The final shop was tiny and quaint. A myriad of petunias were planted out in front while a few baskets of assorted flowers hung from a burgundy-colored overhang. A drab mat was laid out in front of the door with the words 'welcome' stitched in with gold thread. Closed curtains prevented the women from looking inside, but despite that fact, they could tell that the interior was dark. Cammy glanced around before she approached the door.

"I don't see any lights on… but I don't see any 'Sorry, we're closed' signs either."

Juri scratched her chin before turning to Cammy.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked with a grin.

"No. If I ever did, I don't know if I'd be able to live with myself," Cammy muttered.

"Let's just force our way inside. I bet I could pick the lock," Juri said before she looked at her claws. "Maybe these babies would like to prove themselves…"

"Or… we could just turn the bloody knob."

To prove her point, Cammy reached forward and gave the doorknob a twist. With the way the day was going, she expected it to be locked. Perhaps it would jump out of its socket and take her cat hostage to add insult to injury. Fortunately, that was completely illogical, and for further good fortune, Cammy discovered that the door was unlocked. She slowly pushed the door open and peered inside.

The first thing that she saw was a small dark room. A few chairs were placed against one side of the room while a couple paintings of a foreign landscape were hung on the opposite wall. This seemed like the waiting room in case the teller had too many customers. Juri brushed past Cammy again and set her feet down on the purple carpet. While she was new to it, she was able to see a little better in the dark thanks to her new eyes. She grunted in displeasure, having expecting something better than a tiny room.

"Hello?" Cammy called out softly. "A-are you open?"

Both women waited for a few seconds in the silence of the room before glancing back at each other. It seemed as if no-one was home, but at the same time, it felt occupied. Juri shrugged and advanced towards the end of the room where she found an archway covered with what seemed to be exotic beads or threads. A blue glow wafted through the material like some kind of arctic aurora. She began to brush the beads aside when her ears twitched and focused on something. It was the faint sound of something tapping on metal, and it came directly from her right.

As Cammy searched for a light switch, Juri turned to investigate the noise. She had come here with her rival to find a cure for her curse, but something about that sound had stolen her attention. As she searched about, she noticed an object that she had at first overlooked. A thick pole jutted out from the ground to hold onto a large and round metal cage. Draped over the cage was a thin white blanket. Something interesting was inside that cage, and Juri was too curious to leave well enough alone.

When she grabbed the blanket and lifted it up and away from the cage, three things happened all at once: Cammy found the light switch, Juri's eyes widened in shock, and the thing inside the cage sprang to life with a loud screech.

"Bwaawk! Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

Juri screamed and flinched back as Cammy did the same. Perched inside the cage was a large, jade-colored parrot with a black beak and beady eyes. It flapped its wings rapidly in distress as it continued to screech.

"Intruder alert! Bwaawk! Homeland invasion!"

"What did you do? Quiet that thing down!" Cammy shouted over at Juri.

"Why don't you just shoot the damn thing then?" Juri shot back.

"I need an adult! Bwaawk! I need an adult!" the parrot screeched.

"Why don't I just shoot you instead?"

"Oh ho ho ho!" Juri laughed before her expression darkened. "I'd love to see you try, if you have the guts! Newsflash, you don't!"

"I have more guts than you'd ever hope for, you ungodly piece of-"

Before Cammy could finish her sentence, a figure burst through the beaded archway and stepped between the two. She didn't even realize that she had her sidearm in her hand until she felt the figure gently push it back into her holster. Juri herself was nudged away with a soft hand, and when she opened her mouth to angrily protest, the figure turned their head to stare at her.

"Come now, you two... There's no need to make a fuss over Monty's morning ritual."

"Bwaawk! Officer on deck!" Monty the parrot screeched as it noticed its owner.

It was right to assume that this person was none other than the fortune teller. There was a certain air about those types that was full of mystery and intrigue, and the teller definitely had that aura tenfold. Many things jumped out at Cammy as she looked at the teller. For one, the teller was taller than she was which wouldn't be a concern if it wasn't for the buxom figure and high heels. Another thing that was too conspicuous to miss was the purple hair that was in a mystic, lightning-bolt style, the elegant red dress, and the iconic yellow scarf.

Cammy slowly narrowed her eyes and made a guess.

"Rose?"

The teller turned her head to look at Cammy. Her violet eyes shined brightly like those of an old wise woman.

"Ah… Camilla, or is it Cameron? One can never tell." She smiled warmly and stepped back. "In its simplest form, the name Cammy works wonders. It is good to see you again, my dear."

"Rose!" Cammy exclaimed with a grin.

Out of all the possible fortune tellers in the world, Rose was the one Cammy had been unknowingly searching for. The Italian gypsy was the very soul of elegance and mysticism. She loved to read and reveal fates and tended to embark on many trips to soothe hearts filled with rage. She was literally M. Bison's soul mate; half of his soul was inside of her. Fortunately, the half of his soul that she inherited was Bison's good side, and as such, she used her talents to help instead of hinder.

She was a seer, not a fighter… although that never stopped her from using her high heels for just walking.

"It's good to see you too, Rose. What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Italy!"

"Yes, yes, I was. Genova will always be my home, but I longed for the life of a traveling teller, the life I used to lead many years ago." Rose sighed longingly at the memory. "I decided I would do some traveling, so every year I will be packing up my store and moving to a new location. I've just arrived here, but who knows what lies in store for me next?" She chuckled and tapped the side of her head. "Oh, but I do know… oh ho ho! I knew you lived here in England, and I wanted to catch up with you, but alas, so busy organizing…"

"Busy watching movies! Bwaawk! Busy listening to music!"

"Oh Monty," Rose sighed, "I just cannot tell a lie around you, can I?"

"Rose, quick question," Cammy said as she gestured to the parrot. "Why do you have a parrot?"

"Ho ho ho, I have no idea," Rose replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I got him during a trip in South America. I assume he's here for atmosphere or at the very least a plot device."

Cammy raised an eyebrow at that.

"Ahem…" Juri coughed.

Suddenly, all eyes were on Juri once again. Cammy cringed as she remembered what her goal was coming here in the first place.

"Rose, uh… this is-"

"No need," Rose replied with a wave of her hand. "This is Juri Han, is it not?"

"You… you know who I am?" Juri asked, eyes wide.

"Ah, of course! We met before in Italy, my dear. You came to assassinate me, but fate tangled you up and left you as my captive audience. I gave you a tarot card reading before we…" Rose's voice trailed off as she looked up in thought. "Oh no, wait… wrong story."

Cammy and Juri looked at each other with confused expressions. Most people who knew Rose knew that the woman could be quite cryptic at times, but that was to be expected in her profession. She was being too cryptic at the moment, as if she was using information that could not be gained from conventional means. The two shrugged and shook their heads before turning back to Rose.

"Anyway, have you two come to receive a reading? A glimpse of your future? A parking validation?"

"No, actually… you see, Juri here has something wrong with her," Cammy muttered as she gestured towards the Korean.

"Ah, I see." Rose turned to Juri and asked sweetly, "What ails you, my dear?"

"Bwaawk! A lack of morning courtesy!"

"Shhh, Monty. We have guests!" Rose looked at Juri and noticed the woman was fidgeting a little under her cloak. "It's alright; don't be afraid, I won't shun you for who or what you are."

Juri frowned and furrowed her brow. While she wanted a cure for her condition above anything else, at the moment she was skeptical of Rose and her talents. From her standpoint, the teller was not an old fart as she had originally believed, but rather an elegant and kooky tart. Obviously she had to have some kind of redeeming feature to be a fortune teller, but Juri could not see it. And when told to just reveal her problem to her, Juri discovered she could not. The tiniest ounce of shame crept out and forbade her from telling, even when her condition might not have been her fault.

"Maybe it would be better if we take this inside," Cammy said as she pointed to the beaded archway into the other room. "This is quite overwhelming, Rose. You're one of few people that I can trust with this, and I can't risk having anyone else finding out."

"Very well, you may come inside. Watch your step though, the floor rises just a little," Rose warned as she turned to brush aside the beads in her archway. "Ah! Look at this place! I really should have prepared sooner, but with all the boxes around, it's hard to find a simple sign that says I'm closed!"

The two women followed the gypsy inside to a larger, darker room. It looked like a miniature library with all the bookcases stacked against the walls, each of which were fully stocked with books of every color and size imaginable. Various bits of paraphernalia dangled from the ceiling and from hung wires. Exotic feathers, good luck charms, novelty shrunken heads, etc. A small table rested off to the side with a large blue crystal ball on top of it. It glowed with an unnatural energy… most likely electricity.

With the flick of a switch, the room was bathed in light. Everything became much clearer as a result, obviously. Large, drab boxes were littered about the room, some open, most closed and stacked. Rose nudged a few of them aside before she heard the screech of the parrot in the waiting room.

"Bwaawk! Monty all alone now! Monty sad! Very sad! Bwaawk! Monty hungry too!"

"Yes, yes, Monty, I haven't forgotten your breakfast," Rose cooed as she reached into a box. She pulled out a small bag filled with assorted fruit slices and turned to Cammy. "I'll just be a minute. Feel free to take a seat or grab a cup of tea."

As Rose walked out to tend to her pet, Juri turned to Cammy.

"Are you serious?" she hissed. "You think this whacko can help me?"

"She's not a whackjob," Cammy said in defense. "She's just… eccentric. If there's any hope in knowing what happened to you, it lies in Rose. I can guarantee that she knows how to cure you, so watch your tongue." With a devil-may-care smile, Cammy whispered, "Or maybe you like being like this?"

"Want me to rip out your throat with these?" Juri growled as she lifted her clawed hands.

"Why, that's quite a set of nails you have there!" Rose said as she walked back in. "And what a lovely color! Purple is my favorite, did you know that? Of course, red is also my favorite color…" The gypsy rubbed her chin in thought. "What would that make it then? Less favorite? How can something that's my favorite be less favorite than another favorite? Anyway, what seems to be the problem with Miss Han?"

"This," Cammy grunted as she grabbed onto Juri's hood.

In one quick motion, the hood to Juri's cloak was pulled down without her wanting. Her hands shot up to her ears in a pathetic attempt to cover them while her face wrinkled in both disgust and anger. A grim scowl pursed her lips and revealed her fangs. The whiskers on her cheeks twitched in irritation. Violet, cat-like eyes glistened in the light of the room. Juri glared at Cammy and would have pounced her if it had not been for Rose.

The gypsy placed herself directly in front of Juri and leaned in close. Her eyes shined with a curious energy like no other as she examined every feature she was offered. She gently touched one of Juri's whiskers and beamed when the woman wrinkled her nose. Any person who was deathly afraid of a near-homicidal catwoman wouldn't dare to go any further, but Rose was anything but afraid. She bopped the woman on the nose before looking up at her ears.

"Why… what large ears you have!" Rose giddily exclaimed as she poked one of them.

Juri shook her head on instinct. She opened her mouth wide and came forward in an attempt to bite the violator to her personal space, but to her dismay, the gypsy cupped her chin in her hands. Cammy looked on in stunned wonder as Rose examined the Korean's teeth like an aspiring dentist.

"My, what large fangs you have!"

Growling, Juri took a step back and freed herself from Rose's grasp. As she clenched her fists, she could see Cammy's coy smile widen in the corner of her vision. No matter what situation she was put in or how screwed it was, she still insisted on pushing her luck. It was as damnable as it was stupid, and Juri wanted desperately to remove her smile along with the gypsy's. She reeled a fist back and attempted to give Rose a stiff hook, but the woman simply stepped to the side, completely avoiding the strike.

A high-heeled shoe to her feet sent Juri to the floor, flat on her face. Before she could push herself up, she felt someone lift up her cloak and grasp her tail.

"A tail as well? How exciting!" Rose dropped the tail and looked down at Juri with sympathy. "Oh, I'm sorry dear, are you hurt? I tend to get ahead of myself at times…"

"Na, no harm done," Juri muttered sarcastically into the carpet. She lifted her head up and made a writing motion with her hands. "Note to self, add whackjob gypsy to the list…"

"This is what's wrong with her, Rose," Cammy said as she placed her hands on her hips. "Minus the fact that she's completely off her trolley."

"Oh dear… Well, not to worry, I know exactly what has happened." Rose crossed her arms and gave a confident smirk. "What we have here… is a curse!"

An awkward silence filled the room, broken only by Juri's nagging voice.

"No… really? How did you figure that out? Did you like, what, look at the description to a story or something?" she mocked.

"Why yes!" Rose affirmed proudly before Juri shuddered in discomfort.

"Alright Rose, before you get carried away, I have a few questions for you," Cammy said. "Who did this to her, and how can we cure her?"

Rose mused for a moment as she rubbed her chin. As soon as Juri got back to her feet, she discovered the gypsy was once again examining her closely, yet again invading her personal space. If Cammy was right when she said Juri would be thoroughly examined by scientists upon her capture, she imagined the treatment would be just like this, although worse and with the looming threat of dissection hanging over her. She grumbled but allowed the gypsy to continue. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made, and in the case of Juri, her comfort was expendable.

"I see… Hmm… Uh huh… I like what you've done here…" Rose stepped away from Juri and proclaimed, "Ooh… This is Dhalsim's work. You naughty, naughty man…"

"Dhalsim?!" Cammy exclaimed.

The ex-doll's voice was filled with both shock and disbelief. How could it not be, given that the Indian man was the one who gave her a life by freeing her from Bison's control? Just as important, he was by far the most easygoing person she had ever known and a devout pacifist. He literally would not harm even a fly. There were exceptions to his pacifism, however. He was no hypocrite, but he did fight at times to protect his family and those under his guidance. Not every problem could be solved with a soft voice and a helping hand.

Dhalsim was not the type to hold grudges. His life had been rocky ever since Shadaloo involved itself with it, and while his village was routinely targeted by their goons, he never went out of his way to exact revenge. He was a yoga master and a firm believer in his faith, always believing that there was good in the hearts of men, no matter how corrupted they were. He was also something of a doctor, given his… exaggerated flexibility. Why would he curse Juri, and better yet, why would he curse her to look like a catwoman?

"Who the hell's that? I've never met a guy with that name," Juri growled.

"How do you know that this is Dhalsim's curse?" Cammy asked as she glanced over at Juri.

"Dhalsim tries his hand at curses every now and then. Everyone's got to have a hobby," Rose added cheekily. "The trick is in the eyes. He believes that by changing the afflicted's eyes, he allows them to see inside their souls and see what needs to be changed or adjusted. Given that, it is actually more of a gift than it is a curse; an incentive for people to take a good long look at themselves in the mirror." Rose turned to Juri and frowned. "His curses aren't meant to be severe or permanent. This one is different… and I bet ten Bison dollars that he never meant for this to happen to her."

"I've never met this Dhalsim guy," Juri repeated, louder this time. "Who is he? More importantly, where is he?"

Cammy didn't have to be a psychiatrist to know that Juri only wanted that information for her own gain… her own gain being extracting revenge on the one who cursed her. She seemed to be the vindictive sort of person who never let anyone cross her or walk off with a victory against her. Cammy turned to Rose and gave her a pleading look.

"Rose, please, don't tell her wh-"

"Dhalsim lives in India, my dear," Rose said with an innocent smile. "It is a lovely place. The leader does not stray too far from his flock there. Have you been to India lately?"

"Yeah…" Juri's eyes then lit up in realization. "Yeah! I was there about four days ago!"

"And did you, by chance, see a dark-skinned man with eyes as white as snow?"

As Cammy seethed and grumbled behind her, Juri looked off to the side in thought. The day she went to India was when there was a mission to be completed. Shadaloo's goons were attempting to leave their dam base after the failure that was the most recent World Warriors tournament, and they were carrying a plethora of valuable information with them. Naturally, Seth, with his holier-than-thou attitude, saw this as an opportunity to get a leg up on the competition. He dispatched Juri with a small group of guards to retrieve the data without a second thought.

It wasn't too long after Juri destroyed a small Shadaloo convoy did she encounter Delta Red. She incapacitated everyone, including their pride and joy, Cammy. While the rest of the day was a blur of activity, Juri could fondly remember the look on the Englishwoman's face and how she so reveled in it. Everything else seemed to drop off after that encounter. To Juri, it was just another day, another fight, another shot of fun.

"I'm… not sure," she mumbled. Just as it seemed that she would move on, her eyes widened in realization yet again. "Wait! Now I remember where I saw the man… I was just going to be on my merry way and get into the helicopter when all of a sudden I see this odd little man standing in front of a large throng of people. He just… stared at me with this disapproving look."

"Hmm, and what was everyone else in that crowd doing?" Rose pressed.

"Doing the same, only they were really ornery about it," Juri said with a small smile. "I didn't do anything to them besides have a little fun of my own, so what was the big deal? Now, I want to find that little bast-"

Rose snapped up with a small shout of astonishment.

"Ah ha! That's the reason!"

"Reason for what?" Cammy wondered. "We know Dhalsim was the one who did this, so we can just ask him to reverse the curse, right? Just why does she look like a cat?"

"All the people glaring at her is the reason why she's this way, and it's not just Dhalsim's doing!" Rose said. "You see, my dear, curses can be applied in a variety of ways. Markings, evil deeds, building casinos on ancient burial grounds… but the evil eye is the one we are looking at. Dhalsim gave our 'friend' here the evil eye after she did something immoral, and while I presume he wanted the curse to be trivial in nature, the effect of everyone else glaring at her with malicious intent amplified the effect of the curse tenfold."

"Wait a minute; he cursed her by staring at her? That makes no sense!" Cammy whined.

"Neither does this story," Rose quipped.

"Why do I look like a cat?!" Juri shouted.

"Why, I'm afraid I don't know, dear. Maybe Dhalsim thought Cammy would enjoy it or something. If I were you, I would be happy I was not turned into something else." With a finger jabbed in Juri's direction, Rose mused, "You could have been turned into a frog, or… or a succubus, or perhaps you could have been hypnotized to strip down to your undergarments and fight crime at the snap of someone's fingers. Hmm…"

Rose grinned and snapped her fingers in front of Juri's face.

"Stop screwing around," Juri hissed as she batted the gypsy's hand away. "No wonder you came to England. Everyone here is nuts beyond all belief! You fit right in!"

"Me? Insane?" Rose asked with a hurt expression. "No, not at all! I'm just eccentric, just as you are! Eccentricity should not be confused with insanity, my dear."

"Whatever! Just tell me how to lift this stupid curse!" Juri raised her hands up to her ears and winced. "Is it going to get worse? Am I going to grow fur? Paws? A weird little button nose?"

"Thankfully, this seems to be the extent of your transformation. There won't be any more physical surprises. As for lifting the curse… I'm afraid the only cure is time."

Time was a luxury Cammy could not afford, and she was certain that was the same for Juri. She wondered how long it would take. In an hour, the catwoman could gut her like a fish. In a day, she could bring the apartment block down with all of its inhabitants. In a week, all of England could cease to exist. Cammy took a deep breath and rubbed her temples. She knew that such things were unlikely, but with Juri involved, anything could happen. Without an immediate cure to her condition, Cammy would be walking on thin ice for a long time, and even when the woman was cured, all of England would be in danger when she regained use of her eye.

"So, I have to wait for her to get better?" Cammy asked through gritted teeth.

"Of course! Time heals all wounds," Rose said with a warm smile.

"Hmph, well I'm still waiting," Juri muttered in a voice low enough for only her to hear. She glared at Cammy and questioned, "So what now, huh? If there's not some magical healing potion or instant cure for this, we're at an impasse."

"What do you mean, 'we're at an impasse'?" Cammy growled. "If I'm not mistaken, you came to England to kill me for this curse, which I will remind you was of not my doing! What's wrong now?"

"What's wrong is that I can't leave the country looking like this! Airline security's gotten tougher these years, and they're going to get me at a checkpoint and see what's happened to me! S.I.N. can't help me out either because they're a bunch of nerdy neckbeards who are going to want to examine me!" Juri folded her arms and scowled. "You don't want me caught like this because I won't receive 'proper treatment', and I don't want to be caught like this. Because of that, only you and this whackjob," she said as she gestured towards Rose, "know what's the matter with me."

"What's your point?"

"My point is… I need a place to stay until this curse lifts."

Cammy's face fell. Surely the woman wasn't suggesting…

"Absolutely not. I don't want you anywhere near me for the rest of my life!"

"Oh really? You want to risk me running amok on the streets?" Juri threatened. "Imagine I decide to let myself get caught. I'll tell them that you tried to keep me a secret, and then you'll get the stick. Your puny organization is going to toss you out for lying to them, I'm sure."

"They wouldn't do that to me! They trust me!" Cammy exclaimed in reassurance. "I'm a good soldier!"

"You mean a good torturer!" Juri spat back.

Rose furrowed her brow and looked between the two. Despite her mysticism and affinity for the unknown, she had no idea what the two had been doing to each other in the short amount of time they had been together. They obviously hated each other. If she wasn't present, she was sure they would have been at each other's throats hours ago. They had both wronged each other in some way, shape, or form, and until those things were resolved, they would fight like children.

She stepped forward to interject only to have Juri cut her off.

"As soon as I meet you, you put me in a sleeper-hold, drag me up to your apartment, and interrogate me while I'm chained up to a bedpost!"

"Cammy, is this true?" Rose asked quietly.

"Well… yes, but she started it!" Cammy shot back. "She attacked me first!"

Juri threw her hands up in the air in disgust when Rose turned her gaze on her.

"For fu- It was a simple misunderstanding! You were in India with me four days ago, so obviously I thought you cursed me! Anyone would think the same thing if they were in my position!" Juri jabbed an accusatory finger in Cammy's direction. "Let's not forget to mention you starved me!"

"It was fifteen after six in the morning! You were with me for only nine hours!"

"Long enough to get the worst hunger pangs since your Scotland potato famine!"

"It was Ireland that had the potato famine!" Cammy shouted. "Stop being so dramatic!"

"Dramatic? Me? Noooo… Where's the drama in you not letting me use the bathroom when I needed to go? Everywhere!"

"You held my cat hostage when I let you go in there! You even threatened to eat her!"

"You said mean things to me!" Juri spat back.

"Oh yeah? You said mean things to me as well!" Cammy roared in retaliation.

"Enough!"

Both Cammy and Juri stopped their bickering and turned to Rose with confused and agitated expressions. The gypsy's eyes glowed an eerie blue color as her scarf slowly came to life around her shoulders. There was no mistaking it: she was tired and fed-up, and while the two women wanted to deny it, she looked intimidating when she was angry. How could she not when she practically towered over the two with her height? She pointed at Cammy and scowled.

"You! Your treatment of this woman is unacceptable! I know you're a good person, and I know you always try to do what is right, but you went too far!"

"R-Rose," Cammy stammered, "Juri is a very dangero-"

"No excuses!"

Juri snickered.

"And you!" Rose shouted as she turned around to point at Juri. "You held her cat hostage and threatened it? Why, not even Bison would do that!"

"It's just a c-"

"No excuses!" Rose repeated. She glanced between the two before folding her arms. "I want the both of you to apologize to each other. Now."

The two women exchanged murderous glances. Apologizing to each other was akin to a soldier regretting every shot fired in a war. They did what they had to do in their situations, and while it may have been extreme, it was justified. At least, they believed it was. If it were anyone else, Cammy would have been more lenient with Juri. The same went for Juri. She wouldn't have held a pet hostage if it was some random officer.

They turned away from each other with an audible 'hmph' of displeasure.

"I'm not apologizing to her," Cammy muttered. "She's my enemy."

"Damn straight," Juri concurred.

The word that came out of Rose's mouth took them both by surprise.

"So?"

"Rose, you can't be serious…"

"Just because you are both enemies doesn't mean that you have to hate each other or be uncivil with one another. Besides, Juri needs a place to stay, and my shop sees quite a bit of activity. She would be safer with you," Rose said with a smile as the anger faded from her eyes. "Just until the curse wears off, of course. Then you can go at each other like before."

"Who's to say you won't murder me in my sleep?" Cammy said to Juri.

"Kitten, if I killed you like this, someone's going to notice you missing. They'll find me eventually, because, as much as I hate to admit it, people can be smart at times." Juri gestured to her ensemble with a smirk. "Besides, I'd stand out in a crowd very easily. And if it's any reassurance, with me so close to you, you can keep an eye on me. Who knows, you might even convince me to turn myself in!"

"Absolutely. And maybe I can open up a snow-shoveling business in hell," Cammy muttered sarcastically. She shook her head and sighed. "You do have a point though… With you like this, we're both in big trouble. It doesn't help me at all to know that I lied to my organization while yours is chasing you down."

While Cammy was more doubtful now than she was earlier, she couldn't help but hear the tiny voice in the back of her mind say that this was an acceptable deal. She would be able to keep track of Juri easily if she was confined to her apartment, and if everything worked out, she wouldn't have to interrogate for information. She would be putting herself in harm's way by taking in a wanted criminal, but the risk seemed to be worth the reward. It was the right thing to do as well. It was also terribly wrong.

As for Juri, the idea of staying with her second-favorite law enforcer tickled all the right nerves. She could play with her all day and night without fear of incarceration. She could sit back and relax while S.I.N. tried in vain to find her. She could get in so much teasing as well! If everything went her way, by the time the curse was lifted Cammy would be either begging for her life or begging for Juri to stay. Conquering the Englishwoman would be a delight, and Juri was anxiously awaiting her victory.

"Well girls, what do you say?" Rose asked.

Cammy remained still for a moment before slowly extending her hand.

"…Alright, I'm… sorry I shackled you to a bedpost, kept you from using the toilet, and starved you."

Juri smiled and took Cammy's hand in her own.

"And I'm sorry I took your cat hostage," she said in a shockingly sincere tone of voice.

The two women stared for a few seconds before they nodded and shook hands.

"Apology accepted," they said in unison, albeit reluctantly.

"See? That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Rose asked rhetorically. "Now, I think the morning rabble is coming out soon, so if you want to get back or get prepared for your time together, you should hurry along before someone catches onto you. Oh, and if you have any questions or concerns, just come to me or call me." The gypsy frowned and lowered her voice to a dangerous tone. "Just don't get into a fight together. I'm not always going to be your mediator."

"You won't tell anyone about this, will you?" Juri asked with a glare.

"Depends. Am I still on your list?"

"…I suppose I could mark you off…" the Korean mumbled as she turned to exit the room.

What had just happened within Rose's shop seemed to defy any and all explanation. Juri Han, the infamously irrepressible force with the legendary eye, had yielded. Not only that, she apologized for her actions! It made Cammy sick to think about that when she knew Juri would never do that. If it wasn't a lie, it was an investment. The woman would sacrifice her comfort and potential information just for a shot at tormenting the Englishwoman for who-knows how many days. Cammy herself yielded and apologized, but she didn't like it one bit. Her second-worst enemy would be staying with her…

But, as the old saying went, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

"Oh, Cammy?" The Englishwoman stopped and turned around to look at Rose. "Just in case something goes wrong, I have something here that you might be able to use against Juri."

The gypsy beckoned for Cammy to follow her to her table. She stepped around a few scattered boxes and went to the large crystal ball in the center of the table. Now that she was closer to it, Cammy realized that the ball was fake. The blue energy was just a small light that was built into the ball, and when Rose lifted it up from its holder, the light died out. With money being so tight these days, it was understandable that some luxuries would be cut. Besides, with Rose's talents, a crystal ball seemed to be a crutch.

"Here we go," Rose said as she reached into the raised holder. She pulled out a small white bag and placed it in Cammy's hands. "This will come in handy."

"…What is it?"

"It's a plot device, and I'm purposefully refusing to say what it is in order to create interest and foreshadowing. You should be able to use this against Juri in one of the later chapters."

Cammy blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Can you put that in English, please?"

"Ah." Rose placed her hand on Cammy's shoulder and whispered, "When the time comes, you'll know what to do."

Too curious for her own good, Cammy peeked into the bag and pouted at what she saw.

"There's no way this will work."

"Hmm… you never know!" Rose then shuffled the Englishwoman out from the main room with a grin. "Now begone, I have much work to do, and I don't mean watching movies or listening to music!"

Cammy quickly placed the small white bag in her purse before she stepped into the waiting room. She bid Rose goodbye and turned to face Juri, whose attention was centered on the green parrot. Her brow was furrowed in irritation and her lips were curled up in a toothy scowl. The parrot hopped back and forth on a small stick in its cage as it made a few trills and coos from its beak, almost as if it was egging the Korean on. Juri shook her head and pulled her hood up before she noticed Cammy.

"Where'd you run off to?" she muttered. "Nevermind. Let's just get out of this nuthouse before I start kicking."

"We're going to need to have a good long talk about your behavior if you're going to leech off from me," Cammy grumbled. "Not to mention there's going to be a few rules that you'll ha-"

Juri blew a raspberry.

"Right then, some other time."

The two grumbled curses to each other under their breath before they decided to leave. As they did, Monty the parrot flapped its wings and screeched again. It did a perfect imitation of someone laughing, and while Cammy chuckled at it, Juri became livid. She turned on her heel and screamed at the parrot.

"Oh yeah? Well at least I'm not in a cage, birdbrain!"

Juri left the shop in a hurry, leaving Cammy flabbergasted. She shook her head and ran after her charge, all while thinking about one particular thing Rose had said…

_'There won't be any more _physical_ surprises…'_

* * *

**Author's Note: **I'd like to thank everyone for being patient with this chapter. I assume you were; I didn't get any messages for another chapter! Anyway, thank you for reading this so far, and thank you to all the people who have reviewed so far. I read every one of them and try to reply to them as well, provided they are not guests or anons.

Rose in this chapter is borderline out-of-character, but it was my belief that a kooky and fun teller in a comedy would take the cake as well as take the overwhelming seriousness out of a story that was not supposed to make sense or be very serious in the first place. Bogey654 had the idea of this Rose in the first place, and he wrote it down far before I could do it myself!


	6. Settling In

Thankfully, the Londoners scurrying about the city were too engrossed in their morning rituals to notice Cammy walking down the street with Juri leading the way. There were more important things to worry about in their lives than a recently cursed woman dressed in a hooded cloak, things like work, breakfast, and exercise. Businessmen cluttered the streets along with tourists and joggers. Juri was tempted to trip them as they went past, but that would draw more attention to herself. Instead, she nudged her way through the streets as Cammy tried to keep up with her.

In hindsight, it wasn't the best idea Cammy came up with when she thought she could handle Juri living in her apartment. It was as if she was taking in a feral tiger, but it was wounded. It would sit in a corner all by itself, licking its wounds and taking what it wanted before it decided to bite at the hand that fed it. But Juri was much worse, for she was unpredictable, cunning, and manipulative. She wasn't even backed into a corner and she was a major threat, now more than ever with the curse having had its way with her body.

Cammy did not even want this in the first place. She did not want to see Juri again, nor did she want to deal with anything she touched or practically thought about. Just being near her brought forth a terrible sense of dread in Cammy's stomach. As a member of Delta Red, chasing down terrorists was a top priority, as was killing them if they were too much trouble. As a member of S.I.N., Juri's job was assassination of meddlesome individuals, a touch of terrorism here, and a pinch of espionage there. Given that, the two were completely and utterly incompatible… At least in terms of profession.

Just what would Juri do, exactly? Cammy found herself asking that question as she trudged along. With her almost insatiable desire for control and her tendency to use violence or threats to get what she wanted, it was understandable that the Englishwoman would be concerned. But then again, the woman also used guile and trickery to get what she wanted as well. Anything went as long as it worked. Cammy would be more surprised if Juri simply asked politely for something she wanted!

But the fact of the matter was this: either one woman would be completely at the mercy of the other, or there would have to be rules, guidelines, and limits to prevent anything bad from happening.

"Before we go any further, we need to talk about some things," Cammy said in a tone of voice that left no room for discussion.

"Oh sure, sure," Juri said with a nonchalant wave of her hand as she looked at Cammy. "Because we certainly can talk about 'some things' in the privacy of the outside world. Why, I bet no-one will notice the things we have to say!" She lightly jabbed a pedestrian who had the misfortune of being next to her and asked, "Am I right?"

The man looked at her like she had grown a second head before slinking away.

"See? I just helped us out by thinning out any eavesdroppers!" Juri proudly exclaimed. She scratched her nose as her proud look faded. "Alright, shoot. What's there to talk about?"

"Rules. Regulations. Guidelines. Terms of housing," Cammy droned out.

Juri blinked and stared at Cammy.

"You lost me at 'rules'."

"They're necessary."

"Necessary? Since when are rules necessary?" The Korean laughed and shook her head. "Rules are only put into place because someone thinks they're helpless without them. It's like playing some online videogame. Everyone has to have a chance against everybody. What if someone has an edge or if they're in the lead? Nope, not anymore! We're going to make sure someone can swat you down!"

"Hmm… While I don't know a thing about videogames, I do know that without rules, there's nothing but chaos and anarchy," Cammy replied.

"Don't be so sure. Society might just be better off without all that nonsense. I could have a lot of fun in a world like that…"

Cammy scowled as Juri sighed in longing.

"Juri, enough. I'm not going to have you running around London raping and pillaging as you go, and I'm not going to have you kill me while you stay with me."

"At least not until the curse wears off," Juri added.

"At least not until th- Hey! I don't want you to kill me even then!" Cammy grumbled.

"Look at it this way, I could kill you now and lay low, or I could kill you later when the time permits it." Juri sighed and shrugged. "If I kill you now, people are going to notice that you're gone. But… I guess I have no problem with keeping you alive to play with. You did offer me a place to stay, anyway."

"Gee, thanks," Cammy said sarcastically. "It's good to know that my life is a gift from you. Cruel mercy at its finest."

"We're making so much headway today! Keep this up and this might just be the beginning of a beautiful relationship!" Juri cooed as she clasped her hands together.

"More like a cursed relationship if you ask me…"

Rules to a woman who took normalcy and warped it into something entertaining was like a computer to a dog: completely disregarded unless it made enough noise to be toyed with, or in the case of the latter, barked at. Juri seemed like a borderline anarchist at first glance. To those types, rules were callously ignored in favor of causing havoc on society in some way shape or form. But while Juri seemed to fit the bill, wrecking havoc on society was not her idea of fun. Instead, she was particular and chose to go after the individual rather than the collective.

The reason being for this was that- in a morbid way- the potency of sadistic enjoyment weakens as the dosage is stretched across a wide area or group of people. One wouldn't feel as satisfied torturing a room full of people as much as they would a single person. Juri could care less about society or its problems, let alone the problems it placed upon her in the past. One of the many things she wanted was fun and excitement, and that usually came at the expense of others. And Cammy, unbeknownst to herself, was essentially dangling from a string directly in front of Juri.

"Alright, I'll humor you. What are these rules you speak of?" Juri said in an exaggerated and haughty tone.

"Simple ones that even you could understand," Cammy said with a small sneer. "For instance, no attacking each other, no destroying my property, and no committing crimes of any kind. This means anything that hurts another person either physically or financially."

"So… emotionally hurting them is cool?" Juri asked with a tilt of her head. "Awesome! I never really needed your go-ahead, but now that it's cool with you, I can make fun of people all day long. Like that fat guy over there, for instance, or that skinny bearded guy in the business suit who's picking his nose," she said as she pointed.

Cammy simultaneously swatted Juri's hand down and jumped back to avoid the retaliating kick in the shins. To an outsider looking in, Juri seemed nothing more than a troublesome and immature woman who had nothing better to do than to ruin someone's day. Cammy knew better than to fall for her disguises no matter how innocent or unexpected they were. Beneath the façades was a conniving mastermind whose cunning and cruelty would make even Genghis Khan blush. If anyone took her seriously enough, they would either flee for their lives or attempt to kill her outright.

But Cammy was trying to imprison her instead, even though grappling with Juri was as sane as using a live beehive to play catch with a grizzly bear.

"Not even that," Cammy said.

"What's the harm in it?" Juri shot back as she dusted off her cloak. "It's not like I'm hurting anyone by making fun of them behind their back. It's only wrong when they know they're the ass of the joke." With a smile, she continued, "Then it gets funnier."

"Did you only hear the last thing I said?"

"No, I heard the others. Listen kitten, I won't attack you as long as you don't attack me, and breaking your stuff just wouldn't be very interesting."

"Alright, that's an acceptable answer… Now, there will be more things to discuss-"

"I figured," Juri interjected as the two took a turn.

Because of the recent car alarm outbreak, everyone within a four-block radius of the event would be up and most likely looking for the ones who ruined their morning. Cammy was certain someone had seen Juri do the deed, and worse than that was the idea that they may have seen her with the culprit. They did run from the scene like bats out of hell, anyway. Not only did it soil the Englishwoman's reputation somewhat, it brought more attention to the cloaked Korean. To be safe, the two took a longer way back home to give the irritated area a wide berth.

"One thing that needs to be addressed is clothing," Cammy said suddenly.

Juri turned her head to stare quizzically at Cammy.

"Clothing? What's the problem with my clothing? Do you want me to wear more, or…" Juri's walk soon became more seductive as she continued with, "maybe you want me to wear… less?"

"Oh god no," Cammy all but shouted. "You can't wear your usual outfit all the time, and I won't have it starting to stink while you're in my home. You are going to wear things that are appropriate."

Juri caught the last word of Cammy's statement and grinned.

"Appropriate? This coming from a woman who wears a one-piece into battle? Oh that's rich."

"I have other outfits and uniforms!"

"Yeah, well, I've always seen you in that lovely little leotard," Juri cooed. "Maybe you're trying to make a statement, but you're too shy to say it. If that's the case, then… my goodness, I never knew you felt that way about me…"

Cammy knew the woman was being sarcastic, but at the same time, she wondered if she was actually flattered by her wearing of her iconic Delta Red uniform. With Juri's perverse sense of humor, or just simple perverseness, seeing a woman whose defining features were somewhat modesty hidden behind a thin layer of green was too delectable to pass up. She had no shame in ogling, as it soon became obvious when her gaze lingered too long on an attractive female pedestrian. She also seemed to have no shame in the way she dressed, let alone any ounce of self-respect.

As for Cammy, she was a proud and noble woman, even if her subdued, arrogant comments after fights diminished that. She respected herself a great deal and never let anyone beat her down unless she deserved it, which was almost never. Her outfit was a necessary part of her Delta Red life, and as she said earlier, there were more uniforms to wear. Despite being seen in the iconic green leotard plenty of times, Cammy never enjoyed it. She never wore it for sex appeal, but only for maximum maneuverability. It made her job easier, and that was it.

The Delta Red agent brushed off Juri's accusation with a scowl and folded her arms.

"This isn't about me or my uniform, this is about you."

"Come on kitten, I'm not that vain," Juri quipped.

"Obviously not, else you would have sense to cover up more."

"If you're going to piss and moan about how I look, how about we strike a deal?"

Silence settled between the two like an unwelcome guest. Compromising with an enemy was akin to negotiating with them, and while it was not allowed, Cammy had done it plenty of times already. The fact that Juri had come forward with the idea of compromising was alarming enough. Cammy would rather strike a deal with the devil instead of with Juri, as the former was more predictable in their backstabbing. It was completely insane, and unfortunately for Cammy, it was the best course of action at the moment.

"…What kind of a deal?" she muttered.

"I'll wear things that are more appropriate. You can even pick them out yourself if you'd like," Juri said cheerily. "I'll even let you wash my outfit too since I'm so nice. Maybe you could even try it on if you're feeling adventurous."

"Get to the catch."

"The catch is… you have to wear more revealing items in return. For starters, you can keep wearing those tight pants of yours…"

Cammy widened her eyes and put some distance between her and Juri.

"No. Absolutely not. I will not degrade myself just so you can ogle me and become randy," Cammy hissed.

"Who says that this is in my favor? Kitten, all I want is to help you," Juri drawled out sensually. "You need to relax. You're so high strung in your high-heels, just like the China doll."

"Sure, relax. Of course I can do that," Cammy said sarcastically. "And once we get back to the apartment, I can show where I keep the cyanide."

To relax around a dangerous individual was to completely let down one's guard to their incoming attacks. Cammy wondered what Juri's goal was by trying to placate her. The woman loved an active adversary, not someone who had become complacent. It had to be one of her tricks. Unfortunately for Juri, Cammy was not one who gave up easily, nor was she one to degrade herself for her amusement.

"You know what? I don't care if you don't wear anything appropriate. It's not like you're going to be seen with that cloak on, anyway."

"But you'll see me," Juri added with a sly look.

"Unfortunately, yes." Cammy sighed and resumed her walk. "Oh, just drop it. Go wear whatever you want."

"Drop it? You're the one who brought it up!" Juri shouted, uncaring that people were staring.

But Cammy ignored Juri. The two received no trouble from the citizens as they went, partly because they respected the Delta Red officer and partly because they were too concerned to approach the bickering pair. They stared at Juri's cloaked form as if she was the local madwoman for a few seconds before going about their way. Such distractions were not needed, as they had places to go and people to see. Perhaps if they had more time, they would have stopped and/or intervened.

With the morning sun having risen over the city, the streets looked much brighter and cheerier than before. Most of the unsightly fog had risen or dissipated. Many of the trees and flowers and other bits of landscaping looked vibrant as a result of the hard work the city put into it. Cammy occasionally and nervously waved to a few passersby that she knew while trying desperately to ignore the feeling of Juri's eyes on her. No doubt, her gaze was lewd and hungry, but only on the surface. As always, the woman was plotting.

After taking the long way around the city, the two had managed to get back to Cammy's apartment without further delay. The Englishwoman continued to lay down rules and terms while Juri shot them down with idle threats and sarcastic retorts. She also ignored a few rules when they did not appeal to her. There were a few rules that she was interested about, such as one where Cammy would have to keep an eye on her for most of the day, save time to sleep and relieve or remove herself. Juri would be able to quench her thirst for mischief by testing Cammy's patience, and once she had had enough, she would be able to perform the more important details in her absence.

Juri was no fool, and fun was not her only desire. Like others in the new world, information was one of the defining factors in whether or not one was successful. With a whole cornucopia of files, documents, and data at her disposal, she would be well equipped to handle any threat that comes her way. Since Cammy was a part of a private military organization with ties to the government and law enforcement, any and all files pertaining to her work would be invaluable to S.I.N. So what if she was offered room and board? Juri would play Cammy's game and cheat behind her back.

"And here we are," Cammy grumbled sarcastically as she opened the door to her apartment.

"Room 747, seventh floor, A wing…" Juri said to herself as she looked at the plaque nearby.

_'Commit that to memory, why don't you,' _Cammy thought to herself as she stepped inside. _'What good will that do? By the time your… asinine curse wears off, you'll be in chains... I swear it!'_

Loathsome thoughts aside, Cammy lead Juri inside and closed the door. To say that the apartment was clean was an understatement. Everything from the stove to the living room coffee table was spotless. The trash bin in the kitchen was completely empty. The kitchen counters held neither dirty dishes nor unattended pieces of food. Even the linoleum looked clean enough to eat off of, and that was probably why two filled cat dishes were placed on it. The only area that did not look pristine was a small desk nuzzled in a corner of the living room.

Cammy could see Juri's eyes linger on her desk. Covered with smudges and coffee stains, the desk would have attracted anyone's attention. It was a small piece of equipment, made out of mahogany and metal. Situated on top of its surface was a personal computer with a wide screen and a complimenting CPU next to it. Numerous post-it notes were plastered on the sides of the monitor, some of which served to remind the agent of important dates while others were nonessential bits of information like new recipes or internet videos to watch later.

Juri smiled and turned away from the computer, all-knowing that it would be useful sometime in the future. She stepped into the living room and promptly fell back into a leather recliner with her hands behind her head. Propping her feet up on the nearby coffee table, she shot a smug look Cammy's way. It seemed as if the living room did not receive as much attention as it was meant to receive, but at a second glance, the couch directly in front of the television had two small indentions where the owner and her pet would sit. Juri found it amusing to think that Cammy spent her nights sitting on the couch watching television with her 'faithful' companion.

"Nice place," Juri said as she took off her cloak. She tossed it Cammy's way after continuing with, "A girl could get used to this…"

Cammy swatted the cloak away and watched as it fell to the floor. Now that her worst enemy was free from her constraints and able to move about freely, just about anything went. What kind of terror would the woman unleash upon the apartment? Granted, Juri did acknowledge the rule about not destroying the apartment, but there was nothing against reorganizing things or breaking them to a point where it would take a handyman to fix it. All it took was the simple exploitation of a loophole before chaos erupted. And to say nothing about what Juri would do to Cammy personally.

"Before you get too comfortable, there's something you need to do first," Cammy said.

"And what might that be?" Juri asked. "Unpack? Take a grand tour?"

"No…"

As if on cue, the cream-colored form of Cammy's cat came waltzing into the living room. Daisy stretched and licked its paw before noticing its owner, to whom she gave a happy meow. Before she could even move forward to demand a playful stroke of her fur, her nose twitched. An unfamiliar scent had wafted through the room... unfamiliar and unwelcomed. Daisy's fur stood up on end as she hunkered down. With a low growl of fright, she turned her head to look in the direction of the intruder.

Juri watched with a straight face as the cat sprang away and arched its back. She enjoyed toying with people, manipulating them, torturing them, and fighting them. When a human was backed into a corner, there was no way she could tell how they would react. The reactions she enticed always excited her, partly because they were usually screams or angry shouts. When it was an animal that was backed into a corner, Juri felt neither the usual tinge of euphoria nor a sense of satisfaction, not that she had ever taken her frustrations out on an animal before. There had been a few times when a target had an attack dog in his employ, but Juri always managed to give the creature the slip.

Animals never did anything personally wrong to humans besides take up space, and in this world, everything took up space. The more important factor in determining whether or not the cat was worth it was the fact that an animal did not have the capacity to go out of its way to cause human suffering, nor did it have the capacity for all human emotion. Watching a dog lower its head at one's passing as if it had been abused did not sit well with Juri. Now if it was a person doing that… that was a different story. Looking at the cat now, Juri felt a tiny sliver of pity. It was just enough for her to frown and look to Cammy for some kind of guidance.

"You need to apologize to Daisy."

"…What?"

Cammy narrowed her eyes and repeated herself.

"You need to apologize to Daisy." Gently, Cammy lowered herself down and tried to give her pet a bit of reassurance. "It's ok, Daisy, she's going to apologize." She shot Juri an angry glare and said, "Isn't that right?"

Juri crossed a leg over the other and placed her chin in the palm of her hand. Her lips pursed in amazement as her eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Uh… How about no? For god's sakes, it's just a cat. They can't hold grudges."

"I don't care if my cat doesn't have the mental capacity to hold a grudge," Cammy growled as she tried again to stroke her pet. The cat flinched away and returned its attention to the terrible tailed-form of Juri. "You're going to apologize to her for holding her hostage."

"And if I refuse?" Juri asked.

"...I'll think of something. _We'll _think of something," Cammy said as she glanced at Daisy.

"Jeez, that's going to take a long time. Alright, sure, I'll humor the crazy cat lady."

Juri stood up from her position on the recliner and approached the cat. As soon as she was within a couple feet of it, the poor creature hissed and retreated. Cammy squeaked in shock and tried to grab onto her pet, but Daisy slipped through her grasp. Instead of waiting around to be butchered by a crazed catwoman, the cat tore off down the hallway. Juri shrugged and followed it, all the while carrying a smirk upon her face.

Surely Cammy knew just what she was getting into by putting her cat front and center, right? While Juri would never harm it or even toy with the idea, she would tease and torment it for the simple fact of it being around for that. If she was feeling artistic, a bit of paint or marker would be sure to liven up the cream fur. But even that seemed in bad taste, as an animal did not react as wonderfully as a human did. Perhaps it would be better to not do anything at all to the creature, and Juri found herself agreeing with that. It did not, however, prevent lying about doing things to it.

Shaking those thoughts aside, Juri brushed past Cammy and followed the cat into its owner's bedroom. For a moment, she stopped and looked around. The bedroom was just as spick and span as the rest of the apartment. A queen-sized bed was the centerpiece of the room, and it was flanked by rows upon rows of bookcases. Directly opposite the bed was a large wardrobe with a small alcove for a personal-use television.

_ 'Man, what is it with this girl and cleanliness? It's like she's obsessed or she has too much time on her hands,' _Juri thought. _'No character whatsoever… Huh? What are these things?'_

Littered about the bookcases- besides the usual tomes and novels- were small ceramic figurines of cats waving. The ceramic, waving cat was known as maneki-neko, also known by their literal meaning, beckoning cat. Created in Japan, they served as good-luck charms for their owners. Juri had seen the figurines before in many Chinese establishments, as well as during a string of missions in Asia. Whether or not it was due to the cursed cat blood running through her veins, she stopped and stared at the figurines as if they were sentient. Slowly, she crept forward to bat at one and push it around before the sound of footsteps caught her attention.

"W-what are you doing?" Cammy asked as she ran in behind Juri. She gasped and looked to the end of the room. "Oh! Daisy! Wait, don't do it!"

Juri followed Cammy's gaze and groaned. Placed against the side of Cammy's apartment was a balcony. A sliding glass door connected that to the bedroom, and it was open. The cat, Daisy, had slipped between the open cracks and had jumped to the iron railing. In the distance was a nearly-naked tree with long, wide branches that brushed against the sides of the apartment. For such a tall tree, it was placed in the worst of places. When Juri approached the balcony, Daisy took one look at her and leapt to one of the branches.

The tree shook lightly as it accommodated the furry creature. A few orange and red leaves snapped off in the action. Daisy gripped onto the bark with her claws as her tail flicked about in hesitation. She steadily began to climb, much to the chagrin of Cammy, who practically shoved Juri aside to get onto the balcony. The woman gripped the railing and edged herself into a position to vault over it. It seemed that the woman's love of her cat transcended that of common sense, but yet, that was the wrong presumption, as she slowly turned to look at Juri.

"I take it you've never seen your cat go crazy and leap to a tree, right?" Juri said with a smile and a playful tilt of her head.

"Don't give me any of your smugness, you did this!"

"Me? No, no, not at all! I was just going to apologize, but your cat flipped out." Folding her arms, Juri muttered, "Why is it that anything related to you is so seriously messed-up? First the city, then the fortune teller, who had a nice rack by the way," Juri added unabashedly, "then you and your spastic cat."

"Stop babbling and go get Daisy," Cammy growled as she pointed at the tree.

"I'm sorry; you're going to have to speak up. Did you say… I'm supposed to go up there and get that cat?"

Juri pointed up the tree and to the cat.

"Are you serious? That's your job. You should go up there and get it."

"You're the one who put her up there," Cammy shot back.

"And you think sending me is a good idea? If your logic stays like this until this curse wears off, I think we're going to have a lot of fun together," Juri laughed. "What next? No no no, let me guess… You're going to make me play boardgames to try to keep me occupied!"

Cammy narrowed her eyes at Juri.

"…I was right, wasn't I?"

"You still have to apologize to Daisy," Cammy said again. "You aren't going anywhere until you get my cat down from that tree."

"Why don't you do it?"

"I would, and I really, really want to, but this provides an opportunity for you," Cammy barked, as if Juri would enjoy any opportunity that came her way. "Think of it, you'll get in my cat's good graces by helping her."

"What do I get besides that?" Juri asked.

"…You want more incentive? Juri, my cat is up in that tree, seven or eight stories above the ground. If she falls-"

"She'll be fine. She's a cat, right? They always land on their feet." Juri placed her hands on the railing and smirked. "I'll get your cat, kitten, but you have to agree to one of my rules…"

The ruffles of branches and leaves were drowned out by Cammy's thoughts. She had expected something worse, possibly along the lines of removing a rule or being forced to degrade herself. Being forced into wearing clothes that Juri would deem 'revealing' was an idea that had nipped at Cammy's heels ever since the Korean brought it up. She was glad that the deal was not brought up again, but at the same time, she was anxious about Juri's new rule. The woman hated rules, so why was she suggesting one?

"Rules? But I thought you said-"

Giving a fanged scowl, Juri tightened her grip on the railing.

"I know what I said. Don't you ever bring up anything about my past," Juri growled. "People always think that they can use that to get leverage over me. It never works. It's boring, it's been done to death, and it's completely stupid. The only thing you'll accomplish by even remarking on my past is making your life a lot shorter."

"…I'll agree to that if you don't bring up my lack of a past," Cammy replied, not expecting such a rule. "And don't call me a doll."

"…Deal. Now, to get your cat…"

Without hesitation, Juri lifted herself up and perched on the railing. Her black tail dragged along the iron work and enticed a shudder, but she ignored it. Cammy quickly spared a look down below and examined all the pedestrians walking about in the streets. She silently hoped that none of them would look up, lest they would have to see a genuine catwoman leap to a tree. She turned back to Juri and watched as she did just that.

This time, the tree groaned under the weight of a new body. The branch that Juri had landed on creaked and shook, but it held firm. Smiling somewhat, she crouched down and slowly made her way towards the trunk of the tree. Whether it was on account of her years of training, her skills, or her tail, keeping balance was remarkably easy. It seemed as if she was walking on a generously wide plank of wood instead of the brown tightrope she was traversing. Looking up, she spotted Daisy looking down at her from a high branch.

"What do I do when I get it? Throw it down to you?" Juri questioned.

"No! Don't throw her!" Cammy shrieked. "Just carry her back here!"

"Clawing and scratching? No thank you!"

"If you hurt her, our time together will be your worst experience," Cammy growled. "It'll be our own little world in which pain is god and I am pope!"

"Oh ho ho ho! Kinky!" Juri laughed. "Save that thought, will you? I've got a cat to catch."

Juri wrapped her hands around the tree trunk and climbed up to a higher level. She saw Daisy run past her along a branch just nearby and reached out to snag her. Her swipe was met with failure as Daisy slipped out of her reach. Grunting, Juri grabbed onto the branch and lifted herself up. She ignored Cammy's squeaks of concern, partly because she knew the woman was only concerned for her pet and not her enemy. Daisy meowed and glanced about before she turned around to face Juri.

The Korean smirked and advanced slowly towards her prize. As she outstretched her hand to the creature, the sound of wood creaking and splitting reached her ears. All three remained still for a moment before Juri blinked and reached out again. Suddenly, the branch she was on dipped and clicked, forcing her to grab onto it for balance. She spared a look behind herself and saw that the wood was breaking off from the main body of the tree.

_'Uh oh…'_

"Meow."

The cat's sound turned Juri back around to stare at Daisy. Despite being on a now-flimsy branch, the little creature appeared to be much calmer than her pursuer was. She sat on the end of the branch and yawned before licking her paw. Sighing, Juri slowly edged forward when the branch dipped again. This time, an audible snap filled the air. Without another branch to grab onto, Juri was left holding onto a broken branch with her eyes focused on nothing else but the ground.

By no means was the woman scared of heights. She had traversed through a variety of high-up buildings and areas, including a brief stint in Japan where she shimmied across a narrow ledge on the side of a tall skyscraper. To her, being scared of heights was completely illogical. It wasn't the height that killed the man; it was the bone-breaking fall. Her logic failed her on this one occasion as she glanced about to the street below. She was high up, and the simplest of movements could easily dislodge her. Her tail twitched in fright and her ears receded to the back of her head.

With a stiff upper lip, she looked up at Daisy and chuckled nervously.

"...R-remember that time when I held you as my 'hostage' and _indirectly _threatened to hurt you? You were like, "Oh my god", and I was all, "Just kidding"?" Juri smiled sheepishly. "That was fun."

Daisy continued to stare at Juri. She backed up a little and grabbed onto the branch before giving it a small shake.

"You think this is funny? Ha ha, you're pushing your luck here, you stupid little furball."

Another shake.

"Wait! Don't do that! If the branch breaks…" Juri looked down again and immediately regretted it. "Ooooh hell… We're up pretty high, huh?"

Yet another shake.

"I'm going to make you regret having nine lives if you keep-"

Daisy mewed innocently before shaking the branch again.

"Alright, alright!" Juri cried. "I'm sorry I held you hostage, alright? You were in there and I needed leverage. Fair is fair, right?"

"Daisy, please come down," Cammy shouted as she watched over the exchange.

Juri watched with wide eyes as Daisy approached her and nuzzled her cheek. She even licked her noise with her rasp-like tongue before climbing on top of her head. As the branch continued to dip, Daisy walked down Juri's backside and between her legs before coming to the trunk of the tree. She calmly dropped down to a lower branch and jumped right into Cammy's arms on the balcony. Giggling, the Englishwoman nuzzled her pet as it purred away.

"Motherfu- It wasn't stuck up here?!" Juri yelled from her perch. "So all that stuff about cats getting stuck in trees and being rescued by firemen is bull?!"

"Not exactly. Kittens usually get stuck, as do older cats and those who haven't climbed trees yet in their lives," Cammy said with a smug smile. "Thanks for your help, Juri. You know, you can come down…"

"Oh I'll come down alright, just you wait!" Juri spared another look down before thinking, _'…Right after I figure out how to do that…'_

* * *

It wasn't too long before Juri finally mustered up the courage to out of the tree. Were it any other day or circumstance, she would have grabbed the cat, or whatever object, and promptly dropped down without a scratch. She was unharmed, of course, but her ego had been damaged. The fear of heights had kept her stuck up in the tree while her enemy watched with a mixture of sympathy and schadenfreude. It wasn't her fault in the slightest; just another side-effect of the curse. She shuddered to think of further side-effects.

Pushing vengeful thoughts against Dhalsim aside, Juri retreated into the apartment. She listened to many of Cammy's rules and guidelines whilst avoiding the coy looks from the cat at her heel. She wanted to put the cat in the deepest, darkest hole in existence, but she wanted to put the incident behind her more. Occasionally, the cat would bat at Juri's tail in an attempt to goad her, which always worked. It was only by Cammy's intervention that nothing escalated.

By the time Cammy had finished laying down an hour-long list of groundrules, Juri had found her voice and confidence again. Of course, she used them both to make Cammy regret taking her in. But the woman showed a remarkable amount of perseverance and brushed off as many comments as she could before she felt the need to take a leave of absence or remind Juri of her faults. She was not about to lower her guard, and she was not about to give any needed ground or leeway.

The operative was not a fool. Anyone could see that Juri had other things on her mind besides revenge and excitement. Her eyes would glance over to the computer in the living room periodically, but she would always refocus her attention on her organizing of her new guest room. As she disappeared into the room to destroy it to her liking, Cammy took the opportunity to hide any and all files that may have been useful to S.I.N. A pessimistic thought entered her mind as she worked. What if Juri knew more than she usually let on? What if S.I.N. was only acting like a typical terrorist cell to cover up the fact that they were much more than that?

What if Delta Red was compromised and it was too late to correct it?

Cammy shook her head. Once again, her paranoia had threatened to get the better of her common sense. Perhaps Juri only wanted to gauge her abilities, to get to know her enemy on a personal level. It seemed plausible, and Cammy could imagine herself doing the same thing. When it came to the subject of personal history, she could agree with Juri. The past was to remain where it was, and any memories were to be discarded unless they were good ones. Perhaps Juri had no good memories, but Cammy did not care to ask.

In fact, as she thought about the subject while watching Juri move about, she came the conclusion that she did not care a bit about the woman's past. Society, unfortunate events, and the devils in the shadows did not take her and mutate her into the woman she was now. The only entity that can completely change a person is the person themselves. To change, one must be willing in some way, shape, or form to carry it out. Juri had changed herself by her will alone, not because the world had changed her. But did she change on account of the world changing around her? It seemed likely, just as likely as her being turned into a catwoman, which did happen.

Cammy thought less and less of the idea and focused more on keeping track of Juri. To her good fortune, the woman was lethargic for most of the afternoon. The status effect was blamed on the curse, as Juri remarked that her sleep schedule had been toyed with ever since India. To her, it was an inconvenience. To Cammy, it was a godsend. With her enemy prone to random bouts of tiredness, she could recover without fear of something breaking in her absence. Unfortunately, she never expressed doubt over this.

As the day slowly ended, both women retreated to their rooms. Unbeknownst to each other, they had aces up their sleeves. Juri had managed to swipe something of great importance to Cammy while the Englishwoman's ace was given to her by the simple act of turning on the television to check up on current events. The next day would certainly be eventful, as both women failed to realize that their newfound aces were nothing more than double-edged swords.

And interestingly enough, Daisy the cat had an ace up her sleeve as well... or fur...


	7. Awkward Aces

As Cammy awoke from her troubled sleep, she noticed the weight on the end of her bed and immediately shot up into a sitting position. In her sleep, the woman had yet another nightmare. It was always the same terror for her: Bison tormenting her, being a slave to his whims, and carrying out murders on good people whose only crimes were invasion of privacy; negligible when it was put into account that they tried to stop Shadaloo. However, a new entity had arisen in her dream with the others. She looked down to the foot of her bed and saw them: gleaming, hungry cat eyes.

Thankfully, they were not purple like she had imagined them to be, but soft blue. Sighing, Cammy reached forward and stroked her pet. In times like these, it was a good idea to take anything good and deeply appreciate it. There was always the inkling that there would never be another good moment, that the next mission would be the last. Thinking like that would have likely enticed two different reactions, one being depression and the other being the infamous 'live like it was your last day' lifestyle. But Cammy did not dread the approaching missions, nor did she reflect on the misfortunes in the past.

Instead, she simply focused on the present.

"Anyone die when I was asleep?" Cammy dryly asked her pet.

"Meow," Daisy simply replied.

"Really? I find that hard to believe." Cammy tore the covers off and stepped onto the carpet floor of her bedroom. "I guess I'll just follow the blood trails, if there are any…"

Getting dressed was a boring, unenthusiastic affair. The only true effort Cammy put into her appearance was when she braided her hair, partly because it held the same sentimental value as the scar on her left cheek and partly because she liked having pigtails. Blonde hair blowing around and obscuring her vision was not something an operative needed, especially in battle. Chun-Li and Guile understood that well, if the respective ox-horns and flattop hairstyles were any indication.

As Cammy turned around to make her bed, she suddenly noticed the silence in her apartment. Other than the soft rustles Daisy made while she preened herself on the bed, the entire area was quiet. A quick glance at a nearby alarm clock revealed that it was only two hours to noon. Floored at the revelation, Cammy looked outside. She had missed the sunrise, but worse than that, she had missed her opportunity to prepare herself for Juri. The woman had most likely woken up long before she did, and she was probably using that to her advantage by rummaging around for incriminating information. But what if Juri had escaped? Given yesterday's events, 'left' would have been a more suitable word, as the woman was completely free to do just about anything she wanted, baring the use of her eye.

In a fit of panic, Cammy shot out from her bedroom and went into the guest room. Ignoring the feeling of Daisy's fur brushing against her legs, the Englishwoman looked at the drab interior and the unmade bed. No Juri, and if she wasn't in plain sight, she wasn't present. The woman was not the type to hide unless there was no other option. By all means, everything in existence should hide from her instead of vice-versa. Somewhat defeated, Cammy retreated into the living room and looked around. She heard a scoff of displeasure and froze momentarily before turning to the kitchen.

Juri- still as cursed as ever- gave her a disgusted look as she lazily let a half-eaten bagel drop into the trash.

To say that Cammy was surprised would be an understatement. The Englishwoman would have never given herself even a minute of rest if she knew someone would exploit it, but she was exhausted and at the end of her wits after spending an entire day with someone she utterly despised. She had kept her eyes off of Juri for barely six hours, fully expecting the woman to cut and run. After all, Cammy would have done the same if she were in Juri's position. Sadly, her enemy stayed where she was.

In a sense, having Juri stick around was much more frightening than having her run amok. It meant that there was unfinished business to attend to, and it undoubtedly involved Cammy in some way, shape, or form. A businessman did not leave a company if there was still profit to be made, and Juri fit the bill. She was a thrill seeker, and she was not going to go until she had exhausted her desire for information and fun. But Cammy was not there for Juri's entertainment, and she never wanted to be.

"About time you woke up," Juri muttered. "I thought you'd still be sleeping for another few hours."

"Someone has to keep an eye on you," Cammy shot back. She looked to the trash bin in the kitchen and raised an eyebrow. "Why did you throw away a bagel?"

"I threw it away because it tasted funny."

"…It couldn't have been stale, I bought a bag of them just a week ago," Cammy said, somewhat insulted that Juri had been rummaging around in her refrigerator.

"Sure ya did. God forbid that you would get up earlier to make something for me instead of leaving me to forage for food on my own."

"You're a grown woman; you can easily find something to eat." Cammy replied. "Besides, if I made something for you, there's a chance you'll just smash it into my face."

Juri laughed and shook her head.

"Come on now, I'm not the type to bite the hand that feeds me."

"Unless that hand is of no further use to you."

"Hehehe, sure, whatever you want to think, kitten."

Cammy grumbled under her breath. While it was good that she was not being called a doll or something more demeaning, the nickname 'kitten' left a bad feeling in her stomach. She could not determine whether the nickname was meant in a sardonic, condescending way or in some endearing fashion. If given a choice, Cammy would have wanted the former to be true rather than the latter. She would rather be someone's enemy than their own personal plaything, a pet.

Many times over the course of yesterday Juri had dropped Chun-Li's name, sometimes attaching odd fantasies or an inappropriate description of what she liked about her. She had a nickname for the Chinese woman too, and it infuriated Cammy. "China doll" was a terrible nickname not only because it was sardonically endearing but because it projected a sense of helplessness onto an extremely capable woman. Juri probably thought Chun-Li was nothing but a toy for her to play with and then throw away when she got bored.

"Isn't that kind of ironic now?"

"What is?" Juri asked with a tilt of her head.

"You calling me a kitten. You're the one who looks like a cat, if you haven't noticed," Cammy pointed out. "Speaking of which, have you checked yourself lately? Anything new, anything different? Besides the tail and your ever-abundant problems, I mean."

Juri stuck her tongue out at the woman for a moment before looking down at it. As if expecting something foreign and dangerous, she slowly reached up and brushed her fingers against the pink surface. Cats possessed a tongue that had hundreds of tiny bristles on its surface, whether for eating or for grooming. It produced an itchy feeling when a cat licked a human's arm, or whatever bit of exposed flesh. To Juri's good fortune, her tongue was as normal as it could be.

But was it? This morning, the first thing Juri wanted was not to escape, cause havoc, or gather more juicy information, but to get something to eat. A strange, animalistic hunger had gripped her and pushed away any other thoughts she had. It was a small hunger, but it was hunger nonetheless. When she pawed through the refrigerator, the usual foods she enjoyed for breakfast did not appeal to her as much as they used to. Even the bagel, a universal edible oval-plate for all varieties of jams, butters and jellies, seemed as bland as styrofoam. It didn't help at all when the woman bit down on it to find it tasted completely bland.

With a small shudder, Juri rolled her tongue back into her mouth. Perhaps her tastes were changing somewhat, and it would certainly explain why she had the irresistible urge to nab a flounder from Seth's aquarium a couple days back. It was an instinctual act that felt right to do at the time, but when all was said and done, she wanted to vomit. She shook herself back to the present and glared at Cammy. The woman was staring at her as if she knew something was wrong.

"Nothing new, not that you care," Juri growled dismissively.

Cammy 'hmmed' in thought before she brushed past the Korean. She shot her a scrutinizing look before turning her back on her to pour herself a cup of warm coffee.

"When you sprout wings and get a blade for an arm, I think I'd care," she mumbled. Deciding to change the subject, she glanced over her shoulder and said, "I expected you to jump ship as soon as I took my eyes off of you."

"On an empty stomach? What's wrong with you?" Juri said in an upbeat tone of voice. "Although, that's not a bad idea now…"

Cammy stiffened up as her eyes widened. She had figured that mouthing off on the woman would potentially cause more problems than it would solve, but giving her ideas? That was an even bigger problem. Juri seemed to be the type to twist words and meanings to her liking, and Cammy would be hard-pressed to stop her from finding loopholes in her speech. She heard the soft pitter-patter of feet gradually fade from her ears before opening her mouth to stop her.

"Juri…"

But the Korean was no longer in the kitchen. Instead, she gleefully trotted down the hallway towards Cammy's bedroom. She had learned so many interesting things yesterday. An eccentric gypsy had a whackjob tongue, some people were too self-conscious for their own good, and a certain cream-colored cat had a sadistic sense of humor. But over all of that rose one lesson that Juri was quite fond of, despite her first uncomfortable encounter with it. That tree near the Englishwoman's balcony would be perfect for escaping…

As she stepped into the bedroom, she noticed that Cammy was not following close behind her like she had expected her to. Her tail twitched in confusion as she watched the Englishwoman give her a tired yet knowing look from the kitchen counter. It seemed that her morning coffee was more important to her than keeping track of her enemy, at least for the moment. It was such a strange sight that Juri stopped and stared for a moment before Cammy moved away and finally followed her into the bedroom.

The operative casually sipped from her coffee as she watched Juri move to the glass doors to her balcony, which was hidden from sight due to closed curtains.

"So, you're going to leave now?" she asked calmly. "You're not even going to take your cloak?"

"Oh, I'll find something fashionable out there," Juri replied. "Besides, I won't be gone for long. You could use some company," she droned out lavishly. "…So, aren't you going to stop me?"

"I don't have to stop you from running off today," Cammy replied softly as she stirred her coffee with a small spoon.

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean? Is the day going to stop me?" Juri growled. She turned to the glass doors and gripped one of the handles. "Don't be an ass. It's a beautiful day, even in a crap city like London. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and I am about to take a day out on the t-"

Just as soon as Juri slid the door open partway did the gates of nature swing open. A strong wind swept into the room, blowing the Korean's hair back and startling her. Paintings that were hung up in the bedroom swayed in the wind's wake while a disturbing howl rang in her ears. So what if it was windy outside? It wouldn't hinder her in the slightest. Irritated but not discouraged, Juri took another step forward. In hindsight, she wished she hadn't.

A drop of water splashed against her nose. Just like she had done two days ago when Cammy brandished a spray bottle, she flinched back and widened her eyes. More water splashed against her uncovered feet, and she jumped to the side in retaliation. When she looked up into the sky, she discovered it to be almost completely dark. Grey clouds completely blocked out the shining light from the sun and bathed the entire area in a murky, disgusting aura, at least by Juri's observation. The only thing that did come through the clouds was rain, which Juri soon found out after being hit for a few seconds.

Cammy watched with a straight face as Juri ran back inside and shook herself off. An expression of fear and disgust was present on her face. She wiped herself off and ruffled her hair free from moisture before shooting a deathly glare at Cammy.

"Huh… That's funny, the weather report said there would be a light drizzle all day. I think they underestimated the reports," Cammy said. She smiled before turning on her heel with her cat following close by. "Well, I'm hungry. If you're still intent on escaping, be my guest. Otherwise, I'm sure I can make enough eggs for the both of us."

Juri growled and looked back to the balcony for a moment before shaking her head. She slammed the door shut and trudged after Cammy, all the while wiping bits of water off from her ears.

* * *

"So… A dam base, huh?"

The question asked seemed so innocent, yet so strange. At least, it did for anyone who wasn't a part of S.I.N. Juri raised her head out from the palms of her hands and turned to look over at a questioning Cammy with a tired pout. At least the woman wasn't standing in the middle of her home with a smug look and a hot, steaming cup of coffee. Such a blatant show of arrogance demanded a backhand across the face or a kick to the ribs, but then there was the threat of being burned with the coffee, if Cammy decided to splash it in her face.

And the rule about no attacking each other still stood, although Juri didn't really care much about it.

Why she wanted to ask a random question out of the blue like that was beyond the Korean. She had reluctantly accepted breakfast from the woman without a word, other than the occasional grunt of distaste. Hardly any words were exchanged after that. Conversations were not fun when they were one-sided, and with her curse influencing her behavior, the Korean found herself struggling to get the upper hand for once in a blue moon. She sat and tried to compose herself on the couch before Cammy asked her question.

"Huh?" Juri grunted.

"The Shadaloo dam base? You know, the one in India?" Cammy continued.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You only briefly mentioned there was one during our little interrogation session two days ago."

"Oh thanks," Juri moaned sarcastically as she rubbed her temples. "Thanks for reminding me. I really appreciate you forcing me to looking back on that part."

Cammy went into the living room and took a seat on a recliner, hands folded against one another in a gesture of inquisitiveness.

"So that's why you were in India… It wasn't just to bob a few heads together, it was to investigate the base!"

"No," Juri groaned as she shook her head. "Get real. Everybody knows where that old Shadaloo base was. I'm surprised that you, a damn captain in Delta Red, wouldn't know that."

"I do know that!"

"If you do, then why are you asking about it?"

"Because I didn't know that it was back in business!" Cammy said, voice raised. "I was sent there with my men to investigate Shadaloo activity!"

"A bunch of goons were reported to be running amok in an area that just so happened to be nearby an old, dilapidated Shadaloo dam base?" Juri placed her chin in the palm of her hand. "How could you miss that?!"

"I… I didn't think of it at the time," Cammy mumbled before she pointed an accusatory finger at Juri. "Besides, I couldn't go any further because of what you did to me and my men!"

Juri rolled her eyes and grinned.

"Isn't it funny how Shadaloo brings us together?"

Cammy prepared to retort to that when she suddenly took what Juri said seriously. In a sense, the only time Juri made an appearance in Cammy's life was when she was partaking in dangerous missions for Delta Red or tagging along as backup for Chun-Li, and both of those activities involved Shadaloo. Cammy never encountered Balrog or Vega. Those two wouldn't be caught dead helping out their subordinates. Instead, she met Juri Han, but she wasn't helping out her parent organization. She was working towards the same goals as Cammy was when she fought against Shadaloo, although her motives were nothing less than selfishly evil.

As she thought more about it, Cammy came to the conclusion that for once, there was something in common between her and her enemy. Shadaloo, in spite of its atrocities and tendencies to bring hell to earth, managed to be the bridge between the two women. Its defeat was a common goal shared by millions in the world, but more importantly, it was shared between Cammy and Juri. At least, the Englishwoman believed it was. For all that she knew, the Korean could be solely focused on exploiting the vile organization first.

"…Yeah," Cammy said softly. "It's strange when you think about it…"

"Anything else on your mind?" Juri asked as she tried to avoid looking outside.

Before she could shake her head, a thought came to Cammy's mind. While it was well-known that a woman of Juri's stature would be found fighting with a smile on her face, surely there must be other outlets for entertainment. People looked at the Englishwoman and assumed that she enjoyed fighting, but like Chun-Li, that was not the case. They hated to fight if it was a life-or-death struggle, but sparing… that was somewhat enjoyable. Perhaps Juri enjoyed more than the usual fisticuffs, torture, and sadistic toying.

Then again, what did it matter? Cammy did not care for the woman's past, nor did she care about the woman as a whole. She did, however, care about the actions she would carry out and whether or not they would affect others. If her tendency to fight was any indication, it was that there needed to be something else to placate her. Simply knocking her out or restraining her if she became rowdy was out of the question and would most likely add another deathwish to Cammy's list. Instead of giving into the lures of fighting, why not an alternative?

If trying to figure out Juri on a personal level provided the means to placate her, then so be it.

"What do you do, Juri?" Cammy asked.

"You know what I do, or at least, you have a rough estimate," Juri grumbled. "Did our playtime at Sosna's research labs teach you anything?"

"I'm not talking about that. I'm just wondering what you do when you're not-"

"When I'm not off killing people?"

"I… I wasn't going to say that," Cammy reassured. "Just… I was wondering what you do when you're not working for S.I.N. I don't imagine fighting random thugs is your only hobby."

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," Juri said, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's your hobby? What do _you_ enjoy doing?"

"I asked first."

"Yeah, well, I don't care."

Sadly, Juri seemed to have realized what kind of game Cammy was intent on playing. She was a manipulator at heart, and even they knew when they were being manipulated themselves. What possible reward could be gained from prying for information? No-one who had had the misfortune of interacting with Juri cared to ask personal questions, and it was better that way. Even the tiniest bit of information could be used against someone. Even still, Juri found herself interested and curious as to what Cammy was up to.

"Ok… I'll bite," Cammy muttered. She leaned back and mused. "Well, that's actually a tough one, now that I think about it. Uh… I like watching movies, reading books, and uh… Oh!" With a smile, Cammy hoisted her cat Daisy up onto her lap. "Playing with Daisy!"

Cammy resisted the urge to giggle when Daisy began to purr and nuzzle her cheek. She could see Juri's unimpressed glare out of the corner of her eye, but that was to be expected. A woman like that probably wanted to know some juicy information, or at the very least something mind-blowing. But the Englishwoman was not very extroverted, nor was she rowdy and outgoing. There was nothing that could be given to the Korean that would impress her. Nothing except knife-throwing, but that was a card Cammy chose to keep sealed away for the moment.

"Cute… Very cute," Juri mumbled as she leaned back into the couch. "So, you just come home at night and watch movies or read books? When you live in a city like this, that's actually kinda sad."

"Well of course it's nothing compared to what you do," Cammy said sarcastically. "What do you do anyway?"

"Oh, a little bit of this, and a little bit of that…" Figuring it to be harmless, Juri decided to say, "I don't have many hobbies like you do, but… I guess you can count people watching."

"People watching?" Cammy repeated incredulously. "You mean to say that you just like standing off to one side and staring at people?"

"When you say it like that, it makes me look creepy," Juri replied.

An image popped up in Cammy's head of Juri skulking about in the shadows to peer out over a small crowd of innocent schoolchildren with a large, sinister grin on her face. She shook her head and refocused.

"Why is that your hobby?"

"Well hell, I don't know if it's a hobby or not; I just like to see what everyone is doing. When you just stop and take notice of what's going on around you, you can find out a lot of interesting things." Juri's expression became a bemused one. "What do people do when they're not working? Where do they go? How do they do things? I'll tell you this, there are a lot of things people do when they think no one is watching."

Cammy squirmed a little in her seat when she heard that. She did have her enemy right under her nose in her home, but that didn't allow her to become complacent in her situation. Everything she did that just so happened to be in plain sight of Juri was bound to be picked up and used against her. The simple solution to this problem was to do more important things when out of her cone of vision, but then that left the woman unattended. Cammy could not afford that.

"Is there anything else that you do for fun?" Cammy asked quickly, nervously.

"I might play a video game if I get the chance, but it's mostly solitaire or some RTS on a computer," Juri mumbled. "Look, I like to fight, so what's the big deal? It's fun and I enjoy it, and that's all that matters."

"Why do you like to fight?"

"It's something you do every day," Juri said as she readjusted her position on the couch. She draped her legs over the end of the couch and looked up at the ceiling. "Sure, it's gonna be a verbal battle or a mental one most of the time and actual fights are gonna be rare, but if it's such a big part of your life to fight for every little thing, why not enjoy it?" With a small moan, Juri rolled over onto her stomach and stretched. "Don't you love it when you're in a fight and they can't even hit you? They just flail about while you hit 'em from the sides… Then you move in for the coup de grâce…"

Cammy shook her head as she watched Juri.

"I can't see myself enjoying a fight if it's my life on the line."

"That's the beauty of people like us," Juri said as she looked over at Cammy with a satisfied smile. "We're all different. There's never a dull moment when you think about that."

Now that Cammy could agree with.

* * *

"No."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"I beg to differ."

"We'll have a good time!"

"You mean you'll have a good time."

"But my pleasure should make you feel better, right? Besides, I'm sure we'll run into someone we know, and after a little bit of this and a little bit of that-"

"Just because the English are renowned for their drinks doesn't mean there's a tavern demanding to be visited on every block. And besides, it's still raining outside."

Juri stiffened up before glancing outside. Unfortunately for her, yes, it was still raining. The weather in London seemed to be terrible, especially given that the city was close to the English Channel. Cammy did not hint at the weather letting up, but Juri had some hope that the clouds would part and the sun would shine through. Hope, however, was quickly washed away as the living room was bathed in a bright light for a second before a loud thunderclap shook the foundations.

Grunting out of exasperation, Juri sat cross-legged on the floor next to the couch.

"Stupid logic," she muttered as she folded her arms. "God, I hate rain so much. Then? Not so much. Now? Oh ho ho, hell yes." With a sigh, she placed her chin in the palms of her hands. "I'm bored. Can't you think up something fun to do?"

"I'm not here for your entertainment," Cammy said as she peered outside. She focused on the raindrops cascading down her windowpanes for a moment before turning around. "If your idea of fun is to get someone drunk, then no, I can't think up anything fun to do."

"Getting you drunk would just make things easy," Juri shot back. "I love a challenge. You just need to loosen up."

"Around a person like you? Unlikely."

It was another argument, the most recent out of many for the day. Because of the bad weather and the somewhat hostile environment, Juri had no place to go to escape from Cammy, and vice-versa. At times she contemplated backing off to regain her footing, but the Korean persevered. She was craftier than what people gave her credit for. If there was no entertainment to be found outside, then she would have to make her own inside. It was only fair given the rather poor treatment by the host.

Juri's tail flicked about as she thought about possible antics to carry out. With Cammy keeping her watchful eye steady on her, preparing attacks in advance would be near impossible to do. As much as she hated to admit it, she was in unfamiliar territory despite being there for nearly a day. The Englishwoman would notice something was misplaced or missing in her house judging by how clean she kept it. Or perhaps she wouldn't notice if the object was small and seemingly unimportant. Kleptomania was not a trait that Juri possessed, but if it lead to possible opportunities for interesting arguments, then all was well.

When in a fight, one should take note of quick jabs and strikes that wear down the opponent. In a sense, the two women were constantly in a fight. One strived to regain control of her domain while the other desired to see her lose said control, whether by her means or by uncommon devices. Juri smiled devilishly as she thought about her own device to make Cammy squirm. It was a quick swipe that garnished a good catch, but only time would tell before she would be able to show it off.

Suddenly, the Korean felt something bat her tail before grabbing onto it.

"Wah!" she shouted before turning her head to glare at the culprit. Daisy had both front paws clasped over the end of Juri's tail with her eyes wide and her own tail flicking about with a playful energy to it. "What do you want, you little furball?"

"Don't call her that," Cammy said as she approached the two. She placed her hands on her hips and smiled a little at her cat's antics. "She's probably restless."

"Yeah? Well so am I!" Juri growled.

She swatted at Daisy only to get her hand grabbed by said cat. Having not expected that, Juri gasped and tried to reel her hand back. Her efforts were met with extended claws that dug into her hand. Now, the woman was a fighter. In her line of work she was bound to get hurt, sometimes in strange and gruesome ways if she failed to judge her timing or slipped up. She was weak to bullets, as was any other human being, and many lucky hits have made their bruises on her physique. She took every hit with a smile instead of a cringe, but in the instance of this tiny creature's claws, she hissed in agony.

As soon as she managed to rip her hand away from the cat's embrace, Daisy pounced forward and bit her tail. Even though Juri had managed to get used to her new appendage, it was still a new addition, and thus, it was still somewhat sore. With canines sunken into it, the tail squirmed from pain on reflex, which also put Juri in pain. She balled up her hands into fists and gave Daisy an "I'm kind of bothered right now" look. Before things could escalate, Cammy went down to pick her cat up.

"Naughty kitty, you don't bite guests, no matter how bad they are," she scolded. She gave her cat a few scratches behind the ears before looking down at Juri. "Are you alright?"

"Screw you and your cat," Juri growled without missing a beat. She pointed her finger at the object of her anger and snarled. "That thing is trying to fight me just because I look like a cat! Why are animals so stupid?"

"She's not stupid," Cammy shot back as she took a step back. "She's like a little person. And besides, maybe she just doesn't like you."

"Good! The feeling's mutual!" Juri shouted as she cradled her hand.

The Korean stood up and sent another rotten look towards Cammy and her cat before storming her way into the bathroom. The back of her right hand was scratched and slightly bloody from being clawed, and while Cammy wanted to think otherwise, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of sympathy for her. Getting scratched by an animal hurt, especially when they sunk their claws into flesh and held on. It was worse than being punched or kicked, and quite possibly on the same level of agony as stepping on a Lego brick.

Still, she expected Juri to lighten up in time and eventually apologize for her behavior. Widening her eyes, Cammy shook her head. No, such thoughts were as impossible as they were inane. Juri wasn't the type to admit defeat or give ground unless it benefited her in some way or there was no other choice. Her apologies the day before fell in the former category, as she could have always run or fought against her captor. Instead, she played by Cammy's rules. Now that was disconcerting.

Meanwhile in the bathroom, Juri was seething. She forcefully closed the door with a bang and turned to a mirror above a porcelain white sink. Braving the trepidation, she stuck her scratched-up hand into the sink and quickly turned the water on. As she squirmed under the faucet, she reached up to pull the mirror away to reveal a medicine cabinet. Unfortunately, there was no medicine in said cabinet. There was nothing in there; a testament to Cammy's unthinking thoroughness. With a growl, Juri shut the cabinet and massaged her hand.

She was tired, hurt, bothered, angry, restless, exasperated, and worst of all, bored. If that wasn't enough, the strange hunger from the morning had reappeared. It was subtle at first, but as Juri looked down at her scratched hand and saw the small specks of blood, the hunger growled menacingly. She shook her head and pushed the strange hunger back into her subconsciousness, choosing to battle it with logic. She had already eaten not too long ago… a turkey sandwich if she remembered correctly. And if she did remember correctly, the only part of Cammy's charity that was good was the meat.

_'Focus,'_ she hissed in her mind.

Right, she wasn't feeling all these emotions because she felt some instinctual hunger pangs. Juri tore herself away from the bathroom sink and stared at herself in the mirror. If things weren't going her way, then she would have to pull a certain Englishwoman's strings until they did. She watched as a toothy grin appeared on her face. She would make Cammy squirm, and if she was hell-bent on that course of action, it was only a matter of time before she revealed her ace.

* * *

Cammy hardly noticed Juri leave the bathroom. The sound of the door closing was so quiet, so muffled, and she wasn't stationed nearby to see any activity. The woman figured that if she had sat in front of the door with a pistol drawn, Juri would have taken it as a flattering compliment, a hint of voyeurism in an otherwise noble woman. Supplying her enemy with material to use against her was not ranked high on Cammy's to-do list, anyway. After a minute or so of waiting, she got up from her seat in the living room and trudged over to the bathroom.

Her breath hitched when she heard nothing from inside the bathroom, and her eyes widened when she noticed the door hanging open just enough to show that Juri had left. An assassin was walking about freely, and it bothered Cammy now more than ever, especially since the woman was agitated. A woman scorned was quite possibly the worst thing imaginable. After glancing about nervously, Cammy closed the bathroom door and placed her back against it.

"Juri, where did you go?" she asked with an innocent tone.

Juri didn't answer verbally. Instead, she walked out from the guest bedroom with a noticeable spring in her step, a satisfied smirk, and a manila folder under her arm. While most of the folder was obstructed by the Korean's pale peach arm, Cammy could see a date on the front tab of the folder. Seeing anything in the possession of Juri was enough to make the Englishwoman nervous, but that date practically drove her over the edge, for it was a folder that was compiled six years ago.

Without so much as a word, Cammy reached forward to grab the folder.

"Ah ah ah!" Juri sang playfully as she jumped back with the folder pressed against her chest. "Not so fast there, kitten. I wanna savor this moment."

"Give that back," Cammy growled, beside herself in anger.

"I will, but after we talk about some things here."

Juri licked her fingers and delved into the folder. She hummed a small tune as she flicked papers about, sometimes pausing on one document. Her eyes remained focused on Cammy's angry pools, and the message was clear. She was daring the woman to attack her to get her possessions back. Eventually, Juri pulled out a few crisp sheets of paper with writing on the back and front.

"Tell me, why is it that a woman like yourself who is so determined to put her past behind her keeps these things lying around?"

In an instant, the Korean had the upper hand. In her slender hand was a written report on Shadaloo by the USAF dated six years ago. Like any other report, it was long and drawn out, but this one was especially thorough. Cammy didn't have to be a genius to see and understand that the name "Killer Bee" that was etched in the paper plenty of times referred to her. With the Psycho Drive destroyed and the Shadaloo dolls thrown into disarray, the Killer Bee was the only one who was truly saved from continuing her life as a mindless slave. The report cut off when Delta Red became involved, and by then the name "Killer Bee" was just a faded memory.

Cammy swallowed hard. She had expected something like this to happen with Juri around, but even when facing the situation head on, she fumbled for words. It made her look like a hypocrite when she preached about focusing on the present. She was the type to let things slip away, and at the same time, she wasn't. It was the behavior of a sentimentalist, and Cammy felt no shame in that. Now, however, she mentally cursed herself.

"That's none of your business," Cammy replied.

"I'm making it my business," Juri shot back. "Then there's this thing."

Another piece of paper was pulled out, this time showing a different format than the one earlier.

"Reports are one thing. They're made by a bunch of old soldiers with nothing to amount to. This though…" Juri's eyes flew over the paper before she turned it around to show to Cammy. "This is your application to Delta Red, right? In your handwriting? Why on earth do you keep these things around?"

"I keep them around for the same reason I keep my scar," Cammy grumbled as she clenched her fists. "To remind me of who I am."

"Really? If I was you, I wouldn't want to be reminded that I'm an indecisive and confused woman." Juri waltzed into the living room and leaned against the arm of the couch. "Let's read, shall we? Name: Cameron White. Age: not available. I like the little note here that says '16, 17' with a little question mark next to it. Date of birth: also not available. Now, how could that be, hmm?" Juri asked rhetorically with a maniacal grin.

Cammy reached forward and snatched the paper and folder out from Juri's hands. Remarkably, Juri neither reacted nor seemed to care. Instead, she continued to speak as if she had committed the text to memory.

"Height: five feet, four inches. Weig-"

"Don't you dare ta-"

"Weight: eighty-eight pounds, but you've put on some extra pounds since then, haven't you?" Juri cherished the angry glare she received for a moment before continuing. "Education- I'm picking out the good bits by the way-: not available! They just picked you up and put you in another leotard, didn't they?"

"God damn you Juri!" Cammy shouted. She placed the manila folder under her arm and raised a fist. "What happened to your rule about bringing up the past?"

"I'm still obliging that, and you said not to bring up your _lack_ of a past. Besides, that's not the reason why I'm bringing this up," Juri replied with a sneer.

"Then what, pray tell, are you trying to do?"

Juri pondered for a few seconds before a mischievous twinkle appeared in her left eye.

"Sexual orientation."

Cammy's face fell.

"W-what?"

"You filled that part out, but not with a 'not available'." Juri straightened up and walked over to Cammy. She circled her once with a lewd look. "Bisexual, eh? You had enough sense to put that down, but not much else?"

"I-I-It was one of the l-last fields to fill out…" Cammy stuttered as an embarrassing blush flushed into her cheeks. "I didn't want to be indecisive, so I chose-"

"A pretty vague answer." Juri folded her arms and arrogantly leaned back. "Why do they even have that field in the application? Don't they enforce a "Don't ask, don't tell" policy?"

"That's in America… The field is there because I was going to be an operative. They needed to take the orientation into question so they could assign the right agents to the right missions. They wanted to make sure an agent wouldn't become infatuated with his or her target," Cammy explained begrudgingly, as if even she disagreed with her organization's logic. "I just put in 'bisexual' because I wasn't s- Why am I even explaining this to you?!" Cammy shouted out as she pulled at her hair in frustration.

"Aww, someone's sexually confused! How embarrassing for you!" Juri laughed and placed her hands on her hips. "If you're still confused, I could help you out."

It didn't take a genius to know that that sounded like an unwelcome invitation. The way Juri's eyes gleamed with mischievous energy and the way her hips swayed when she offered her assistance made Cammy extremely uncomfortable. Hobbies and work were alright to speak about, but when conversations became too personal to bear, that's when people were warranted to draw the line. She backed away from Juri and shook her head with gritted teeth, all-knowing of the embarrassed blush in her cheeks.

"Does the wittle kitten have a cwush on someone?" Juri said in a sickeningly childish voice. "Is it the China doll?"

What Juri had expected was for Cammy to break down with a face completely red with embarrassment after mentioning Chun-Li, but the woman only clenched her fists and growled.

"Who the hell are you to ask a question like that?" Cammy turned on her heel and made off towards her bedroom. She glanced over her shoulder and barked, "Why don't you piss off? I don't need to put up with this!"

It wasn't a complete victory, but it was a victory nonetheless. Juri held her head up high in accomplishment as she reveled in that. She had essentially ruined any further chances of speaking to her rival for the remainder of the day, but she felt proud that she was able to make her lose her cool. A rival wasn't very interesting if they didn't lose it every now and then anyway. With a sigh of relief, Juri placed her hands behind her head and fell back onto the couch.

So what if she looked like a cat and had to lay low at her rival's home? Making her squirm more than made up for that.

* * *

The evening meal was a sordid and tensional affair mixed with glares and occasional mutters of expletives. Cammy was tempted to restrict Juri from eating anything, but doing that would have set her up for further torture. She made a quick meal and shoved a plate in Juri's direction before retreating back into her room to gather her thoughts After the incident regarding her files and her enemy's sadistic inquires, she could no longer spend even a minute with her until she composed herself. The simplest punch out of anger would have been enough to start a full-scale fight, and by the time a victor was crowned, the apartment would be a complete wreck.

Numerous concerns and thoughts swarmed through Cammy's mind. She cursed her predicament, but more so than that, she cursed herself for not doing anything to correct it. She wanted to take action against Juri, but any extremes would either drive her to kill her or force her to leave. The catwoman needed to stay in a place where she could be watched, at least until she was no longer a catwoman. Having her too close for comfort presented a hilariously bad set of problems, but it also provided some benefits, even if Cammy was too engrossed in her lamentations to notice them now.

Juri, on the other hand, was much more content with herself than she was previously. She aimlessly paced about the living room, sometimes throwing punches at invisible foes and practicing her kicks in open spaces. With Cammy placed in a 'woe is me' status, the Korean was free to do as she pleased. The problem with that was that there was nothing in the apartment that pleased her anymore. Cammy had taken away her computer's power cords and stashed them away to preserve any lingering scraps of privacy she still had. Information could not be gathered from outside sources, and the books and movies the Englishwoman had on display did not interest Juri in the slightest.

She had seen too much death and strife in her life that any kind of recreations on film seemed bland and meaningless. Movies, no matter what the genre, bored the woman. She could pull out the plot and wring out everything that was going to happen in the future, even going as far as to anticipate strange twists and earth shattering revelations. Even books were uninteresting, and not just because they weren't moving around. To Juri, mere words on paper couldn't explain the simplest nor the most complex of things. Explanations were worthless. Performances were priceless.

Seeing as Cammy would not come out looking for more torment, Juri decided to let her be. The day would not get any worse for her; it was late, after all. Juri took notice of this and returned to her generously small room to retire for the night. At least, she tried to. The feeling of restlessness set in once again and forbade the woman from sleeping. And she genuinely wanted to sleep after being up for nearly eighteen hours, most of which were spent feeling lethargic and lazy.

If that wasn't bad enough, the strange hunger from the morning had reared its ugly head a third time. This time, however, it was much more severe. There were no hunger pangs, nor were there any stomach growls. It was unreasonable, and Juri's tried and tested logical responses of having eaten just an hour ago did nothing to stave it off. Something within her begged for sustenance, but it was so vague that Juri couldn't understand what it was asking for. She held her sides and winced as the feelings ran rampant throughout her body.

Juri was confused and bothered, and she had no idea how to stop it. A desire surfaced in her mind, almost as if it was an instinctual one. She was in no pain, but having some foreign need go unsatisfied hurt her. The thought of going to Cammy for assistance briefly crossed her mind before she viciously removed it. She didn't need anyone's help. To prove that, she went to the door of her room and began to open it.

As soon as the door opened just a crack, a flash of cream darted into the room. Surprised, Juri flinched back and brought her hands up in anticipation of an attack that never came. The door groaned before swinging back to a closed position, uncaring that it had blocked off escape for two creatures. Juri turned her head to look about her room for the strange creature that ran inside only to find it sitting dead-center on the bed.

It was Cammy's cat Daisy, and it stared at Juri with a knowing gaze.

"B-back for more?" Juri asked with a grim scowl.

It would have been a rhetorical question had it not been for one condition…


End file.
